Slave Soldier 3: A Soldier's Prerogative
by Xj9
Summary: AU. Gohan and Tobney managed to defeat Vegeta and take over the army so now Gohan cannot wait to go back to planet Earth. However, past decisions and Vegeta's old plans are coming back to haunt the half-saiyan as he tries to get out of a spiderweb that is still being spun all around him. Gohan soon realizes that walking away from the army won't be as easy as he expected it to be.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey you!**

 **Are you ready for Slave Soldier 3?**

 **This chapter takes place right after Gohan and Tobney defeated Vegeta. As the last chapter of the previous story was a little rushed, I figured the story and you guys deserve a more extended description of what happens during the months between the battle for power and the landing on planet Earth.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Dbz characters or the Dbz world. I do own a couple characters I created myself ;)**

 **Chapter 1. Tying up loose ends**

"Get out."

Vegeta frowned at Tobney. "I beg your pardon? These are my quarters." The saiyan prince had his arms crossed over each other as a defensive gesture while he stood in his spacious living quarters.

"Not anymore." Tobney wiggled his finger. "This is my ship now. You can relocate to the detention center."

The ship was moving away from planet Yuna. On this planet, Gohan and Tobney challenged Vegeta for the control over his entire army. Gohan won the battle and he almost killed Vegeta but he decided to spare his former master. Now, after allowing everyone to get cleaned up and fed, Tobney decided to start renovating the army. And he was going to start by throwing the trash where it belonged.

"If you think I'm going to listen to you, you're sadly mistaken." Vegeta snarled in response. "Gohan defeated me. You were just along for the ride and now you think you are in charge of an army you didn't even deserve to lead in the first place."

"Alright." Tobney looked over his shoulder to the members of the Suta Team. "Evict him." He ordered. "Destroy everything valuable and bring Vegeta to the detention center."

The members of the Suta Team gave Tobney defiant glances. Suno's blue eyes were lowered to the ground as he awkwardly rubbed one gray hand over his other arm. Itoro had his light-blue arms crossed over each other while his black eyes stared back at Tobney. Kaon had his dark-brown hands curled in fists as they rested on his hips. The man was not necessarily looking defiant but there was an amused glint in his light-blue eyes. Gohan gave a worried glance at the rest of the warriors. Tobney asked him to come along just in case there was going to be trouble and, apparently, there would be. Gohan's glance went to Comora. The tall warrior didn't seem particularly worried.

Tobney frowned as he turned to them fully. "What is going on here? I gave you an order."

"Why should we listen to you?" Kaon responded. Tobney widened his eyes as his heartbeat sped up. "It's just like Vegeta said; you didn't defeat him. We have no reason to obey your orders."

"I am in charge of this army now." Tobney said in a calm voice. Gohan almost let out a sigh of relief. Tobney had to stay calm now. If he got angry he would only prove them right. "I don't care who won the battle. I am the leader and you are to obey my orders."

"We are to do nothing." Itoro returned easily. "Especially not listen to a little brat."

Gohan decided to step in here. "Vegeta, you know what happened. Tobney and I worked together in order to defeat you. I never would have won the match without Tobney and Sianna. You're just being a jerk about it. Now follow us and we'll take you to the detention center."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Fine." He stated. The man gave a brief glance to Tobney. "As I said, I will listen to you." He added the comment for good measure before he motioned for Gohan to lead the way.

The half-saiyan realized what his comrades were doing. They refused to listen to Tobney in order to torture him. Meanwhile, they could easily make Gohan miserable by doing the exact opposite. Gohan would feel bad for his best friend and, in a way, it would force Gohan to stay where he was as he could not go back to planet earth if Tobney could not control the army without him.

"I'll take him." Gohan stated when he noticed the others were following him. "Practice on your loyalty to your comrades." He said as he glanced to the Suta Team. The warriors all showed unimpressed glances in response to his comment.

Vegeta couldn't help but smile as he followed the half-saiyan. It was obvious that Gohan wanted to speak to Vegeta alone. That's why he told the others to stay behind. The warrior waited patiently for a bit while they walked. "Well, say what you have to say." He said once his patience was done for.

Gohan clenched his fists. "Fine." He stated as the one and only warning before he turned on Vegeta and grabbed the man by the bands of his armour. Vegeta widened his eyes in response but before he could do anything else, his former slave already pushed him against the white wall. Gohan frowned as he powered up, pushing Vegeta against the wall with just his energy.

Vegeta recovered somewhat. "Aggressive, are we?" He stated quietly. The man groaned when Gohan's power grew, pushing against his body until it actually felt painful.

"I'm going to tell you this once and once only." Gohan stated. "Stop messing with Tobney right now. He is in charge. He is the new leader of the army and you are nothing more than an obnoxious nuisance." Vegeta tried to push him away so Gohan pushed against him once more. The half-saiyan changed his tactic and pushed his lower arm against Vegeta's throat. "Give me a reason, Vegeta, and I will do it." He applied pressure when Vegeta's hand started to gather energy. "I just need a second and you're dead." He allowed just enough room for Vegeta to breathe but the pressure must have been quite uncomfortable for the Saiyan prince.

Vegeta was silent now. Not because of the pain Gohan was inflicting on him, but because of the look in Gohan's eyes. It was a dangerous gleam that showed Gohan was not bluffing. He was not bluffing at all.

"Don't forget." Gohan stated clearly. "You are alive because I let you live." Vegeta's gaze hardened but Gohan continued calmly: "I am the reason you are still here and not in hell. Don't you ever forget that!" The half-saiyan held Vegeta's gaze for a moment. "So, you will obey Tobney and me from now on. Do you understand me?"

Vegeta resisted for a moment, frowning at the youngster. "Fine." He spat after a moment. "I understand."

"Good." Gohan stepped back to let Vegeta recover from his assault. "Now follow me." He ordered before he started walking again. Vegeta somewhat hesitantly followed the youngster.

The Saiyan prince was silent as he followed the younger warrior. He studied Gohan, his eyes moving from the half-saiyan's stature to the youngster's tail. The man noticed the gentle movement in Gohan's tail. "You must have been dying to do that for years." He commented after a while.

Gohan, who was actually trying not to smile, now allowed the grin to appear on his face as he looked to his former master. "You have no idea."

Vegeta was actually quite meek after Gohan warned him. The half-saiyan had no trouble locking him up in one of the cells in the detention center. The cells had a toilet and mattress and nothing more. No windows, no room for air. Only a bright light that would turn off at set times. The cells were all made of glass and therefore gave the prisoners no privacy. This was mainly because they were not actually supposed to be used for long periods of time. The army didn't exactly take prisoners or hostages. Any prisoners would be killed within a couple of days.

Gohan decided to go looking for his best friend after this. He found Tobney in the control room. Gohan approached Tobney. "Where are the others?" He asked, wondering why Tobney let them go so easily.

"They just walked away after you left." Tobney stated. "They ignored my orders and just walked away." The young warrior was leaning on the control panel with his pale hands, staring down at the numerous buttons.

Gohan placed a hand on his forehead. Why was this going so incredibly wrong? Tobney turned to his best friend. "I don't know how to do this, Gohan. I expected them to be difficult but I didn't expect that they would blatantly defy me."

"We'll work through this." Gohan responded. "We have a couple of months before we reach planet Earth. We can use that time to make sure they know who's in charge."

"What if that's not enough time?" Tobney returned. The young warrior looked to his best friend.

"It will be enough."

"But what if it's not?" Tobney persisted. "You can't leave me with an army that is not under my control. Why don't you stay for a year or two? Maybe leading the army will be more fun that you expected." Gohan opened his mouth to respond but Tobney stopped him. "Just think about it. That's all I'm asking."

"Fine. I'll consider it." Gohan responded. The young warrior returned the smile he received from his best friend after this. The smile disappeared once Tobney looked away though. Gohan blew out a sigh. How was he going to do this?

A few hours later, Sianna was sitting at a table with the rest of the Suta Team. The female warrior showed a determined expression as she nodded. "I will do anything."

"Anything?" Itoro tilted his head sideways as a smile appeared on his face.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Itoro."

Itoro laughed. "It's the kind of gutter all men are in when it comes to women, Gohan, and don't you deny it."

Sianna decided to step in. "You know what I mean. I am willing to train for hours and hours until you guys think I'm good enough to join your team." Her golden eyes sparkled as she considered earning a place in the strongest, most prestigious team in the entire universe. It was something she had always hoped for.

Gohan studied his best friend and he noticed how happy she was to join the Suta Team. Was he really going to take that away from her? Was she really planning on joining him when he would leave for planet Earth? Or was she, just like Tobney, expecting him to stay with them?

"It will be tough." Comora stated in response. He studied the female in front of him. Her brown hair was still quite short since Vegeta cut it all off several months ago. However, it suited her. She looked fiercer now. It had been a while since she wore a wig too. Maybe she was warming up to the look. He definitely was.

"I'm counting on it." Sianna nodded. She knew how tough it was going to be. She had a long way to go if she ever wanted to be as good as the rest of the squad. But it was not impossible. She was ready to prove that she could do it.

"And there will be a test." Suno added.

"A test?" Sianna asked as she frowned. That was the first she heard of this.

"It will be a difficult test." Itoro said, nodding.

"Very difficult. Gohan and Tobney nearly failed." Kaon added in a very serious tone. Sianna couldn't decide whether he was joking or not.

Sianna's gaze moved to Gohan. The half-saiyan shrugged in response to her silent question. He wasn't too worried. He knew what the test entailed and he was sure the rest of the group would go easy on her. He definitely would.

"What is it?"

Grins were sent in her direction after she asked this question. "You will find out very soon." Suno said before he pushed his body up into a standing position.

"When you least expect it." Itoro added for good measure. "Be ready." Itoro, Kaon and Suno turned to walk away. Comora was about to follow them when he noticed Tobney was beckoning him.

Sianna got up too and she gave Gohan a glance. "They're kidding, right?" She asked. Gohan shook his head. "They're not? There really is a test? What is it?"

Gohan showed an innocent smile. "I'm not going to give anything away. It's all part of the initiation." He responded. "Just hope that they like you enough to not let you sweat for too long."

Meanwhile, Tobney led Comora away from the rest. There Tobney turned to his former squad leader. "I need your help." He stated. Comora didn't seem surprised by this statement but he didn't comment on it either. "I need you to teach me how to be a leader."

"That's not something you can learn. It's in you or not." Comora responded. "For real leaders, it comes natural. Gohan, for example, is one of those natural leaders. People flock to him. I don't think I can say the same of you."

"You don't think I can do it?"

"I'm pretty sure you're not cut out for it." Comora gave Tobney a stern glance. "Your best chance is to keep Gohan around and allow him to tame the men for you." His glance moved to the half-saiyan. Gohan was still talking to Sianna. She was trying to get more information about the initiation out of him but the half-saiyan was not giving in.

Tobney followed Comora's gaze. The young warrior watched for a moment as Gohan laughed at something Sianna said. Sianna followed his example. The two looked so happy together it caused envy in pretty much anyone who surveyed them, including Comora and Tobney.

Tobney frowned while he felt some form of resilience taking over his system. He hated that Vegeta was still mocking him. He loathed that the members of the Suta Team refused to listen to him. He was annoyed with Comora for not believing in him. And finally, just a little bit, he felt a tinge of jealousy towards Gohan for apparently being a born leader.

However, Gohan suddenly looked sideways and met Tobney's gaze. The half-saiyan showed a smile to his best friend and Tobney realized being jealous was stupid. No, he would have to take his best friend as an example. He was not going to give up.

Tobney looked back to Comora. "You're wrong. And I will prove it to you." He said before he turned and headed for the doorway.

Gohan watched Tobney walk away. The half-saiyan quickly approached Comora. "What did you say?" He asked, mistaking Tobney's determination for anger.

"Something he needed to hear." Comora stretched out his arms and yawned broadly. After this he looked at Gohan and noticed the confused glance he was receiving. "I can still read every single one of you easily. Oh, the power I have." He said cheerfully before he started for the doorway. "Come and train with me, you two."

Gohan was even more confused but he disregarded this feeling and gestured for Sianna to follow them. Sianna was definitely in for some training. Any practice she could get, she would take.

That evening Gohan was curled up in his bed with Sianna by his side. The young female warrior smiled as she snuggled against him. "You did it, Gohan. I can't believe that you did it."

"We did it." Gohan responded. "I couldn't have defeated Vegeta without you two." Especially since Sianna was the main reason that he found his courage to challenge his former master. Sianna made him realized what was really important. Her courage showed him that bravery entailed more than just staying alive against all odds but that it also meant that he had to fight for his loved ones. And that is what he did. And he won.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Sianna asked, glancing up at him. Her head was resting on his naked chest. This was their first night as a normal couple. They were both free now. Sianna was no longer a slave. Gohan was no longer a soldier. They celebrated their first night as a real couple.

And they were snuggling.

Gohan didn't mind. He liked hugging his girlfriend. He loved generally being near her. He just also really enjoyed doing more interactive physical activities with Sianna. And he was somewhat hoping the cuddling would progress to a more fun stage.

"I'm not sure." Gohan shifted slightly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm afraid the members of the Suta Team won't allow Tobney to take charge so easily."

"Yes, you told me about what happened today." Sianna frowned thoughtfully. "Are you going to help him?"

"I guess I have to." Gohan was thinking out loud more than he was actually replying to Sianna's question. He realized the look he was receiving from her and he shrugged. "I want to help him. But I'm afraid this will delay the journey to planet earth. I can't leave when Tobney is still struggling to take control of the army."

Sianna seemed to understand. "I wouldn't worry too much. The trip to planet earth will take a couple of months so you'll have plenty of time to help Tobney. Still, he'll have to do most of the work himself. He cannot depend on you since that wouldn't really make him a fit leader in the first place."

"Hmmm…" Gohan agreed with her. This knowledge didn't lessen his worries though. The young warrior noticed that Sianna's hand was gently following a scar on his stomach. Her touch made a shiver run through his body. Gohan closed his eyes, enjoying the tingle her touch instigated.

It was after a few minutes that Sianna looked up. "Isn't it strange that we don't have to do anything?" She asked before she noticed that Gohan's eyes were closed. "Gohan?" She asked. The steady breathing of the half-saiyan indicated that he was asleep. Sianna allowed a smile to appear on her face. She realized that Gohan was only seventeen years old and he'd just been through one hell of a day. The exhaustion was oozing off of him. Poor thing.

Sianna leaned over to press a kiss on his forehead. After this she pulled up the sheets so that they were both covered. Yawning broadly, Sianna curled up against her boyfriend and closed her eyes. She may as well get some sleep too.

The following morning, Gohan realized how much everything was going to change from now on. First of all, he was not woken up by an alarm clock but he was allowed to wake up all naturally. Secondly, he had absolutely nothing scheduled for the day. He was free to do whatever he wanted. He didn't have to report to anyone or do any work. Nothing. It made him feel quite uncomfortable.

Sianna had the same feeling and so they decided to distract each other by making love to each other. It was the first time they could stay together for hours without being interrupted or having to hurry. They had all the time in the world and they were definitely going to take advantage of that.

However, as they started to get quite hungry after a while, the couple decided to head out into the common room to get something to eat. Bulma greeted them with the proper amount of grinning and winking but the two warriors were used to this kind of treatment. They were immune to it by now.

"Celebrating the victory properly, were you?" Bulma stated as she watched them sit down at the kitchen-island.

"As we should be." Gohan responded. "So, what about you? I know I can't wait to get back to planet earth. You must be excited too." He reached over to grab some coffee while Sianna returned with two cups. The half-saiyan poured the coffee for both of them.

"I can't wait." Bulma grinned back at the two youngsters. "I hope the journey won't take long."

"I agree." Gohan nodded once. Sianna's smile shrunk a little bit as she watched Gohan talk about his beloved planet. "I can't wait to breathe in fresh air again. And look at the sunset and dive in the water. Ah man, it's going to be amazing." He locked an arm around Sianna's shoulders. "You're going to love planet earth."

Sianna forced a smile. "I know I will." She responded. The smile disappeared when Gohan looked away but the half-saiyan was too preoccupied with the memories of his planet to notice.

Sianna's test was planned to take place several days later. Gohan was not eager for the test to happen. At first, he wasn't worried but as the days proceeded he started to worry more and more. What if the guys would hit her too hard? What if something went terribly wrong? The test was dangerous. Anything could go wrong and she could end up terribly injured.

On the day of the test, Gohan approached the group of warriors. He was not ready for this. "Guys, I have a request." He stated. The warriors gave him their undivided attention and Gohan had to swallow for a moment to expel his hesitance. "Could you… go easy on her?"

Tobney raised both his eyebrows. That was asking for trouble. Suno couldn't help but grin. "Of course we will go easy on her." He stated as he stepped closer and threw an arm around Gohan's shoulders. "We know exactly how much she means to you and we would absolutely _hate_ to indirectly make you suffer."

"Exactly, it's not like we have a beef with you." Itoro added cheerfully. The man stepped closer as well to take his position on Gohan's other side and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "It's not like you recently screwed us over." The man tightened his grip on Gohan's shoulder a little too much.

"Guys…." Gohan tried to say something but Kaon interrupted him.

"Don't worry, rookie. Any teeth we knock out can be replaced by fake ones." Kaon said cheerfully. The man pushed a black stick in Gohan's hands. "You'll get to hand out the last punch, lucky bastard."

Suno and Itoro laughed while they smacked Gohan on his back before they released him. The three warriors seemed cheerful as they walked away. Gohan scoffed in response to their treatment of him before he gave Tobney a glance.

"Don't worry. They're just messing with you." Tobney said in response. He was leaning on his black bat with his hand. "You know what they're like."

"Yeah… That's why I am so worried." Gohan muttered.

Sianna entered the large training room. The young woman looked up when Gohan approached her. "Sianna." He said quietly. "Just keep going. Do not fall down. Do not stop for even a second. They will target your legs and you must not…."

"Alright, rookie." Itoro and Suno appeared on either side of him and they latched onto his arms in order to pull him away from the female warrior. "You know you're not allowed to give her pointers." Suno said strictly. "Get in your position."

The two warriors pushed and pulled him until he was standing behind Tobney. The half-saiyan growled when they gave him one last push and he stumbled forwards. "Fine." He snarled when he noticed the two were prepared and eager to keep pushing him back. The half-saiyan tapped on the ground with his stick while giving a disapproving glance to his comrades.

Tobney couldn't help but smile at their antics. "At least I'm not the last in the line." He said this in order to get Gohan's attention. And it worked.

The half-saiyan glanced towards him. "I wasn't even worried about that. Comora told me we are positioned according to our seniority and I was the last one to undergo this charade."

"Charade, you say?" Tobney grinned. "Aren't you a little biased against it since, as I recall, I knocked you down when you tried to complete the trial." The young warrior made a swiping motion with his bat and sent Gohan a smug glance.

"Hmmm, it was a lucky shot." Gohan returned.

"Keep telling yourself that." Tobney shot back easily.

Gohan opened his mouth to respond but Comora called for them to get in position. Gohan obeyed and he stood with the bat in his hands. The youngster briefly recalled his own initiation. It was actually a couple of years after he joined the Suta Team. Officially, a new member had to complete the trial before he or she could join the team. Gohan, however, joined the team unwillingly. Therefore he was not necessarily obligated to undergo this trial. Two years after he joined the team he asked if he could follow the normal initiation procedures and Comora agreed.

The trial was brief as the Suta Team was still a small team. They didn't take it too seriously. They would form two files standing opposite each other with a small gangway between them. The aspiring member would have to run through the passage while the other members tried to knock him or her down. Gohan actually managed to get quite far during his initiation. That was until Kaon tried to knock his feet from under him. Gohan remember jumping in the air, summersaulting forwards and jumping up again. That was when Tobney anticipated his movements and managed to knock the bat right against his chest. Gohan was knocked backwards and fell flat on the ground. He had to be quick in order to avoid getting beaten and he rolled sideways to avoid getting hit by Suno. He remembered using his hands to push his body up, jumping once again and making a beeline for his best friend, knocking right into Tobney and so finishing his trial. Tobney would never allow him to forget that he managed to knock his best friend down.

"Alright, Sianna." Comora stated. "You know what you have to do." The young woman nodded once as she gave a determined glance to the warriors in front of her. "Whenever you're ready."

Sianna closed her eyes to focus and calm down her nerves. After that she took a deep breath before she started running. The young woman reached Comora first. The squad leader swung his stick downwards, trying to knock her over her head. She sidestepped this first attack. This brought her dangerously close to Suno's bat, which nearly knocked into her but she managed to jumped over it. She landed just in time to dive under Itoro's attack.

Landing on her hands, she made a handstand and pushed off from the ground to avoid getting hit by Kaon. She landed on her feet and widened her eyes when Tobney's attack came rushing at her face. Sianna bent her body backwards to avoid this punch. She almost fell backwards entirely and only just managed to place her hands on the ground and push off. Two whooshes made her realize she just about dodged two attacks from behind. She ran forwards, right into Gohan's attack. The half-saiyan regretted his straight-forward swing when he realized Sianna was not going to be able to block it.

Sianna felt fearful for a moment as she realized she was not going to dodge this one. At the last moment, Sianna placed her hands on the stick in order to jump over it. Tightening her grip, she used the bat as leverage to pull her body up and swing her legs over it. She almost knocked her leg against Gohan's head in the process but the half-saiyan managed to avoid getting hit.

Sianna landed on the ground and whirled around to face any upcoming attacks but there was nothing. She was only greeted by five warriors who came over to congratulate her. Comora was already carrying several beers and handed each warrior one can.

"A toast!" Comora yelled. "To the best completed trial in the history of the Suta Team!"

"Really?" Sianna asked, wide eyed.

"Oh yes, you're the very first one to not actually get hit by at least one bat." Suno said, nodding. "That has never happened before."

"We welcome you, Sianna, to our ranks." Comora stated in an official voice. "I hope you're ready and eager because this is probably going to be one of the hardest years of your life."

Sianna grinned as she held up her beer. "I am ready and eager. I'll be the best rookie you've ever had."

"Hear hear!" Suno added.

"We'll hold you to that!" Itoro agreed.

Gohan grinned proudly as he surveyed his girlfriend. He couldn't remember why he had been so worried. Granted, the other members hadn't put in as much strength as they did when they confronted Gohan but that was mainly because Sianna was not as strong as Gohan was back then. The party moved to the Suta Team's common room. Sianna was hauled up by Suno and Kaon and they carried her high up in the air, shouting and celebrating as they walked. Sianna was having the time of her life as she partied along with them, pounding her fist up in the air and laughing loudly.

Gohan and Tobney followed the parade meekly. Gohan sipped from his beer. "I noticed that the ship is not travelling to planet earth just yet." He stated. "We're actually moving away from the Northern Quatrain."

"You do notice everything, don't you?" Tobney responded. The young warrior kept his eyes on the parade in front of them, avoiding Gohan's eyes.

"I thought you said we would leave for planet Earth right away. And I would help you to gain control of the situation here while we are travelling." Gohan stated, lowering his voice since he didn't want to be overheard by the rest of the group.

"No, I said it would take months for us to get to the planet. And we're on course. We just need to decide the best route to follow." Tobney said patiently.

"I can help you with that." Gohan persisted. "We've travelled to planet Earth before. It cannot be that difficult."

"Gohan." Tobney placed a hand on his shoulder. The two warriors stopped walking. "Don't worry about it. You're free now. You can just sit back, relax and allow us to bring you back to planet earth. What's your rush?"

Gohan gave his best friend a worried glance. "You're not planning on allowing me to go back to planet earth at all, are you?" He asked.

Tobney returned an annoyed glance. "Of course I am. These things just take time. You know how it goes. Now, stop whining, you're ruining the celebrations." He gently tousled Gohan's dark hair before he started running to catch up with their comrades.

Gohan watched his friend run to the others. He blew out a sigh. This conversation only increased his fears that Tobney was not planning on bringing him back to planet earth. He knew his best friend didn't like the fact that Gohan wanted to leave the army. And Gohan knew that Tobney drew strength from his best friend's presence just as Gohan did the other way around. What if Tobney didn't want to go without the soothing presence of his best friend? What if Tobney actually meant to keep Gohan on the ship? The half-saiyan realized that this could very much be a possibility. He generally had nowhere to go and if he tried to steal a smaller ship, the sheer speed of the mothership would run him down easily.

Gohan shook his head to clear his mind of these negative thoughts. He would just have to trust his best friend to put Gohan's desires above his own. The young warrior caught up with the rest of the warriors and he forced a smile onto his face when Sianna ran up to him and hugged him. For now, he would play along and do his duty as a best friend for Tobney.

But this conversation was definitely not over yet.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **I hope you like the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Hidden Bars

**Hey you!**

 **Thanks for being here again today. Thank you all for your reviews on chapter 1!**

 **Who is ready for the second chapter?**

 **Chapter 2. Hidden Bars.**

"Stop!"

The warriors were silent as they stared at Tobney. Shocked. The young warrior's gaze was poisonous as he directed it at the members of the Suta Team. Right after breakfast, Tobney announced that he wanted to discuss an important matter with the rest but the adult warriors disregarded this and started to leave the table.

Itoro was the first one to recover from the shock and he scoffed. "Get lost, kid." He stated. The man was about to turn away again when a hand curled around his throat. The man let out a gasp when the hand tightened to such an extent that he couldn't breathe anymore.

"Hey!" Kaon stepped closer and tried to place a hand on Tobney's arm but the younger warrior sent a blast in his direction. The blast was ruthless, blasting straight through Kaon's side. The blood splattered everywhere as Kaon let out a horrified scream. Gohan's mouth was wide open. Sianna placed a hand in front of her mouth and gasped for air when Kaon fell to the ground.

Tobney tightened his grip on Itoro's throat. The man clawed at his hands until chunks of white flesh came loose and blood started to ooze down his wrist. Tobney didn't budge. Comora and Suno seemed frozen too.

"From now on," Tobney started as he glared at Itoro, "you will obey my orders immediately. Do you understand me?"

"Tobney. Let him go. He'll die." Comora stated calmly. The only warning Comora received was the glance that was sent in his direction. Comora let out a gasp when his hands suddenly started to move on his own. Tobney's gaze was piercing as Comora's hands grabbed a knife from the table and positioned it against his own neck. Comora could feel his heartbeat speeding up when he realized what his own hands were about to do. When did Tobney's powers get so strong? When did Tobney learn to take over a mind and force a body to follow his orders?

Suno was kneeling next to Kaon. The man desperately tried to push back several organs that threatened to spill out Kaon's body. Tobney didn't take his eyes off Comora. His powers would falter if he let his gaze wander off. The knife punctured Comora's turquoise flesh and blood started to ooze out of the wound.

"Pledge your loyalty to me and my army." Tobney ordered loudly. Itoro widened his eyes a little. Suno looked over at Tobney. Comora frowned in response. "Now. Or you will all die."

"Fine." Suno responded. "I pledge my loyalty to you, lord Tobney, and your army." His hands were stained with Kaon's blood and he lowered his head to acknowledge Tobney's position.

Kaon could only nod faintly before he lost consciousness. Tobney figured that was enough. Itoro's hand tapped against his hand and in response Tobney eased the tight hold on his throat. Itoro let out a raspy "Pledge… loyalty…lord…." He fell back when Tobney released him. The man sank through his knees, gasping for air.

Tobney's eyes were still on Comora. The squad leader was still resisting. The knife was already quite on its way, slicing a bloody line across his neck. Tobney stepped closer to Comora. "You think I won't do it?" He asked. "You think that after all these years I got attached to you and I don't have the guts to kill you?"

Tobney grabbed hold of the knife while he forced Comora to lower his hands with just the power of his gaze. He easily worsened the cut, pushing the knife deeper in Comora's throat. "Do you not think there is a part of me that enjoys the suffering I can put you through? The little sixteen-year-old in me that was beaten up and humiliated imagined much worse to keep him going."

Comora's gaze was strong as he encountered Tobney's mind. The battle was tough. Tobney could feel Comora's mind pounding against his, trying to free itself from Tobney's powers, but Tobney was too strong. Tobney was supposed to have this power. It was part of him. It came natural to him. "Pledge your loyalty to me, Comora. Or die right now."

Comora was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth. "I pledge my loyalty to you, lord Tobney, and your army." He stated in a clear.

Tobney held his gaze for only a moment before he stepped back. Still keeping Comora under his hold, he lowered the knife. "Suno, Itoro, take Kaon to the rejuvenation center."

"Yes, sir."

Gohan watched as Itoro and Suno carefully helped Kaon up and rushed away. The half-saiyan glanced back to Tobney and Comora. Tobney now blinked and a smile appeared on his face. Comora let out a gasp for air as his body was released from Tobney's hold.

Tobney now turned his gaze on Sianna. "What about you?" He stated as he placed his pale fists on his hips.

Sianna was confused for a moment before she showed a grin and saluted to Tobney. "I pledge my loyalty to you, lord Tobney, and your army." She responded cheerfully. She encouraged Tobney to take over the army so she had no trouble to pledge her loyalty to him. He was the reason she could become a soldier, so she was loyal to him for that.

"Good. Now, Comora," Tobney looked to the squad leader. Comora was leaning on the table with his hand as he tried to catch his breath. He felt as if he just had a massive battle. "You can go heal yourself too. Sianna, please escort Comora to the rejuvenation center."

"Yes, sir." Sianna saluted before she turned to look at the general. Comora gave one last look to Tobney before he followed Sianna out the door.

Tobney now looked to Gohan. "How did I do?"

Gohan grinned. "You were amazing." He responded. "You'll have to keep behaving like this for a while or they will forget it."

Tobney nodded. "I will have to stay this strict for the rest of my life." He stated. "But that's okay. I chose for this job so I'll have to follow through." He was aware that his relationship with the members of the Suta Team would never be the same again. A part of him was sad about it but another part of him was eager to get to this new stage of his life. He would be an honest but strict ruler of the best army of the universe.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Well well." Vegeta's voice already reached out to him when Gohan entered the detention center. "It only took you a couple of days to visit me. Can't live without me, can you?" The half-saiyan made a face. Of course Vegeta already knew that he was coming in.

The detention center was a large brightly-lit room. The all-glass cells were lining the white walls on either side. Not many cells were occupied as Vegeta didn't tend to take prisoners. Vegeta was the only prisoner right now. Gohan raised an eyebrow when he noticed Stirania was lying on the metal bed, fast asleep.

Vegeta seemed to notice Gohan's glance. "Tiresome. Stupid woman wouldn't leave my side. Now she got herself locked up for something she didn't do." The Saiyan prince was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Gohan assumed Vegeta was meditating before Gohan appeared. "So, what are you doing here?"

Gohan sat down opposite Vegeta and he assumed a similar position with his legs crossed over each other. "Tobney won't bring the ship around to travel to planet earth. He keeps saying that these things take time and that we will eventually set course to planet earth. That I shouldn't worry. I fear that he is not planning on going back to Earth any time soon."

Vegeta showed the youngster a smirk. "There must be an air about you, kiddo, which makes everyone want to hold you against your will."

Gohan sent the man a glare. "I came here for advice. I have no interest in being teased."

"What makes you think I'm going to give you any advice?" Vegeta responded, raising an eyebrow. "You're the reason I am stuck in this cell."

"The faster we get to planet earth, the faster you can leave this cell." Gohan returned. "Besides, I can still decide to drop you off on a faulty planet." He was referring to planets that were known for not having a proper atmosphere, water or oxygen; all the things that Vegeta would need in order to survive.

Vegeta held Gohan's gaze. "You're not heartless enough to do something like that."

Gohan only grinned in response. "Are you willing to bet your life on that?"

Vegeta was silent for as he stared back at the half-saiyan. Gohan let out an annoyed grunt. "You know what? Never mind." He got up. "I don't even know why I thought coming to you was a good idea."

Gohan was already halfway to the entrance when Vegeta's voice called out to him: "Just ask him." Gohan stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to the Saiyan prince. "You two are such good friends, right? Just ask him what's going on and try not to let your anger get ahead of you. Listen to both sides of the story. I wouldn't be surprised if he needs you to take over the army. You can't just disappear that easily."

Gohan nodded. "Thank you. I'll make sure they'll give you a feast today." He gave Vegeta a genuine smile but the man only waved him away. Well, there was no love lost there.

Several hours later, Gohan tried to keep his breathing steady as he sat right next to his best friend. The half-saiyan felt uncomfortable, which was strange as he had done things like this more often. Under Vegeta's reign, Gohan was forced to give speeches for great audiences all the time. Still, back then he was Vegeta's so-called apprentice. Now he was sitting in front of a group of lieutenant-generals as Gohan; the warrior who defeated Vegeta. He had nobody to hide behind this time.

Tobney and Comora spent hours and hours preparing for this meeting. Tobney had to convince the lieutenant-generals that he had what it took to lead the army. They feared that the men would refuse to submit to Tobney's leadership. Comora suspected that, similarly to the Suta Team, the lieutenant-generals would rather support Gohan than Tobney.

Still, Tobney asked Gohan to join him during the meeting. Gohan was hesitant. He didn't really feel like joining in on meetings concerning an army that he was planning on leaving.

"Please." Tobney folded his hands together in front of him. "Please help me out here. Just this once?"

Gohan remember looking to Comora. The older warrior shrugged, saying it couldn't hurt. Gohan decided that he could join the meeting just this once… There was nothing that could go wrong, right?

"Who says that you are to become the leader of the army?" Asked a man with bulky arms and a dark moustache after Tobney's explanation about what happened during the rebellion.

"Right." This was added by a tall man with gleaming purple eyes. The man had a dark uniform on over his equally dark skin. His insignia indicated that he was the lieutenant-general of the third-class soldiers. "General Gohan defeated Vegeta so he should accept the leadership of the army."

"I agree!" The lieutenant-general of the second-class teams called out. "General Gohan fought with us during campaigns and battles. He's proven his worth. And he often enough acted on Vegeta's behalf during official meetings. Why not give him the position?"

Gohan looked to Tobney. His best friend grounded his feet. "Gentlemen. This is not the issue. Gohan and I have decided that I am to take over the leadership of this army. There won't be any changes for you. Your salary will remain the same and I'll add a little bonus to counter the emotional damage you will suffer from due to the current changes concerning your supervisors." The men around the table were already sitting up in response to this message and Gohan was once again surprised by how easy it was to bribe some men.

"Now, if anyone here has a problem with me as your ruler, there's the door." Tobney pointed to the doorway. "Instant relieve of your duty. You will leave here today in a space pod. Any takers?"

The men glanced to each other uncomfortably but they stayed silent. Tobney allowed this to go on for a moment before he nodded and lowered his arm. "Alright. Now, let's move on to more pressing matters…"

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Now, if anyone has a problem with me as your ruler…." Comora took a dramatic gasp as he pointed to the doorway. "There's the door!"

The members of the Suta Team grinned and laughed in response to this. Tobney pursed his lips disapprovingly but he decided to allow it. The Suta Team always had a tendency to make fun of him and who was he to take that away from him? As long as they listened to his orders, they could tease him all they wanted.

Gohan fell down next to Tobney and the two exchanged a smile. Sianna walked in with a platter filled with beers. They all took one and stood up.

"A toast!" Comora announced. "Congratulations to our new and improved leader and the best army in the universe!"

They all smiled and cheered as they repeated Comora's words and toasted their glasses. The room was silent for a brief instance as they all sipped from their drinks. Comora was the first one to start talking again: "All jokes aside, you did well today." He caught Tobney's eye as he said this. "I'm proud of you."

Tobney returned the smile. "Thank you." He responded. "I hope they will give me their support. We need them to reorganize the army."

"They're not that important. We can do without them. It will give us an opportunity to place some of the men who are loyal to you on higher positions." Comora returned.

"We need to win the trust of every soldier in this army." Tobney stated. "We need their leaders, the people they trust, to vouch for me. If we start replacing everyone with new, younger soldiers, the veterans will not trust that I'm doing what's best for the army. They'll just think I am promoting the people closest to me."

Comora nodded. "Alright." The man took another sip from his beer. "So, why not allow Gohan to take the lead?" Tobney's expression faltered in response. Gohan frowned as he didn't like where this conversation was going. "You heard them; they are used to following Gohan's lead. If you want them to trust and follow you, you two should lead the army together."

"I don't want to do that." Gohan responded. This earned him Comora's undivided attention.

"What you want is not important right now." Comora said strictly. "You defeated Vegeta so you got the army. That's how it goes. If you didn't want the company, you shouldn't have started the fight. You were good where you were, Gohan, but you decided ruin all that."

"I just wanted to be free." Gohan returned. "All I wanted was to leave this army and the only way to do that was to get rid of Vegeta because he wouldn't let me go."

"That was not the only route, Gohan. Vegeta would have let you go to planet earth once in a while if only you were not such a pain in the ass." Comora's voice became harsher as he spoke. "And now you've ruined any chance of ever leaving this army. You can't go home now. Vegeta had enemies. Foes are still out for Saiyan blood and they don't care which Saiyan's blood it is. They will come after you and you'll lead them straight to planet earth."

Gohan frowned as he looked to Tobney. His best friend was avoiding his eyes and this made Gohan worry a lot. "Is that true?" He asked.

Tobney hesitated before he took a deep breath. "I eh… Comora did show me the threats made to the army. Apparently, Vegeta received them all the time. We receive numerous messages threatening to kill Vegeta, you, me and every members of the Suta Team. There is an entire team of soldiers devoted to trying to track down where these messages come from but it's difficult. They are concealed. Vegeta just… kept it a secret from us."

"Well, I knew about them." Comora chipped in. "I didn't really feel like telling Tobney about it. And Vegeta figured that you already had too much to think about without worrying about death-threats."

Gohan could feel his mind reel as he thought about this. Everything he'd ever done was to return to planet earth. All he ever wished for or dreamed about was seeing the planet again. The youngster felt nauseous and he fell back onto the couch. There he placed a hand on his forehead. Had everything been for nothing? Did he throw his entire world away for a dream that would never happen?

"Didn't think of that, did you kiddo?" Comora stated acidly. "Well that definitely proves that children shouldn't do anything more than just follow orders."

Tobney straightened his back. "Alright. You've said enough here, Comora." He said strictly. "Why don't you go back to your office and start preparing for our meeting with lieutenant-general Iko? I'll join you in a bit."

Comora's expression showed that he realized he was being sent away but he nodded and saluted. "Yes, sir."

Tobney looked over to the others. "The same goes for you all. Scatter." He ordered. The rest of the group silently walked away. Tobney waited until they all left the room before he sat down next to Gohan. The half-saiyan was now leaning on his knees with his elbows as he hid his face behind his hands. "Hey, chin up. We'll work it out. We always do, remember?"

"Bring me home, Tobney." Gohan sat up and met Tobney's gaze. "Turn the ship around and bring me home right now."

Tobney held Gohan's gaze for a moment. The 25-year-old lowered his gaze and placed his elbows on his knees. Gohan watched him to this. "Tobney…"

"I can't." Tobney responded. "Comora's right. You can't leave the army. Not yet at least."

"You promised me you would bring me home, Tobney. You promised me you would personally escort me back after we defeated Vegeta." Gohan stated. "You promised me…"

"I didn't think we would win!" Tobney snarled in return. Gohan's eyes were wide. "I just wanted to die, Gohan. I had nothing left to live for. The only reason I was still alive was because I didn't want to make you suffer the pain of losing your best friend."

"So you tried to kill us both on a suicide mission?" Gohan snarled.

"It gave me a reason to get up in the morning. The burning desire to make Vegeta suffer for what he did to me was what kept me going." Tobney returned. "Don't deny that you were in a similar position. You never really smiled anymore. Especially after you found out Vegeta was planning on marrying you off to Lizis. You were a walking shadow of your former self. But there was nothing you could do about it. Our plan to kill Vegeta and take over the army brought the sparkle back in your eyes. You needed something to live for just like I did."

"We were already dead, Gohan. We were being pushed around like puppets, maneuvered into whatever position Vegeta and Comora wanted us to be in. We had nothing left to lose."

"You're wrong, Tobney." Gohan responded. "We had enough to lose. I had my dreams. I had love and friendship. You had Solarus and you had our friendship. Reasons enough live for." Gohan took a breath. "Well, I guess we both lost something. I lost my dreams… And you lost your best friend."

Tobney watched as the look on Gohan's face changed to a harsh one. "Gohan…" He pleaded. "Gohan, please don't…."

"Safe it, Tobney." Gohan got up and walked away. Tobney got up since he planned on following his best friend. The warrior stopped himself as he felt the hostility in Gohan's mind. The man sank through his knees right there and he placed a hand in front of his mouth.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

It took her several hours to track him down. Tobney was lying on the couch in the Suta Team's common room when Sianna walked in. She smiled as she approached him. "Here you are." She stated

"I'm not going to talk about it." Tobney responded as he placed his pale arm over his eyes.

Sianna chuckled. "Oh, I do love how predictable you men are." She teased. "Gohan said the exact same thing when I tracked him down earlier. After I noticed the cold atmosphere during breakfast, I was pretty sure something was going on between you two and it only took me a couple minutes to get it out of my lover." She sat down on the edge of the couch, forcing Tobney to shift sideways in order avoid to being used as a pillow. "How long will you last, huh?"

Tobney moved his arm away from his blue eyes so he could glare at Sianna. "You do know you're talking to your superior, right?"

"As if that ever stopped me before." Sianna grinned in response. The female folded her hands together and placed them on her lap. "So, talk to me."

"Get lost." Tobney closed his eyes again. The man ignored the female's cat-eyed gaze for a few seconds before he got annoyed and opened his eyes again. Her smile infuriated him even more. "Go away now. That's an order."

Sianna pursed her lips. "Make me~" She cooed. Tobney's mouth fell open in response to her insubordination. "You won't because you have a soft spot for me. That's the case for all the men here. It's the reason I'm still alive."

"Not really. Vegeta just kept you alive because he wanted to make you suffer." Tobney returned. "I think it's practically the same for everyone else here."

"All the same. I'm alive because I caught their attention. Hence the soft spot you guys have for me. Now, are you going to tell me what's going on or should I get Suno so he can get it out of you?"

"Don't you dare." Tobney sat up. He noticed the grin on Sianna's face. She found her leverage. She was getting way too good at this. The man blew out a sigh. "You already talked to Gohan, didn't you? So you know what's going on."

Sianna shrugged. "I know his side of the story. But there are always two sides. I need all the information I can get if I'm going to rectify the situation."

"And you think you can rectify this situation?" Tobney shook his head. "You're in way over your head. I don't think you can do anything to solve this fight."

Sianna smiled. "Don't underestimate me. Now stop trying to postpone it and tell me what happened."

Tobney leaned back against the pillow and took a breath to start his story. He explained how he started the rebellion for the wrong reasons and how he betrayed Gohan's trust in him. He told her about the fight that occurred just a day before today.

Tobney fell silent, his mind filled with worries as he thought about Gohan's angry expression. Sianna nodded once. "So you didn't consider apologizing?"

Tobney shook his head. "He wouldn't listen to me."

"Not yesterday. Today. Once you two calmed down."

"He doesn't want to talk to me."

"Alright." Sianna smiled and got up. "Thank you for the information. You can leave it all to me now." She walked away after this.

Tobney frowned as he sat up again. "What are you going to do?"

Sianna only looked over her shoulder to address him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She winked at him before she left the room. Tobney was left staring after her. The man shook his head and muttered something about strange women before he lay back down again.

Sianna met up with Comora and reported her information to him. The man nodded once. "Alright. They have to settle this fight if they are going to lead the army together. We need to make sure that Tobney apologizes to Gohan." The man crossed his turquoise arms over each other. "Gohan is sweet enough. He will accept the apologies easily and it will be over. I think it's going to be more difficult to convince Tobney that his apologies are enough to settle this. So, how are we going to do that?"

Sianna grinned in response. "Oh that's going to be easy. Come with me. We'll meet up with the others and I'll explain my plan."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3: How to Make Amends

**Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter!**

 **Chapter 3. Making amends.**

It was a slow day. Gohan couldn't sleep last night and now he wasn't really feeling like getting out of bed. The 17-year-old blew out a sigh as he forced his body to sit up. Sianna left hours ago. She said something about having a job to do. The half-saiyan slowly got ready for the day. He took a long shower before he headed out to the common room. The youngster decided to prepare himself some pancakes for breakfast. He had nothing else to do so he spent the next hour making a large pile of sugary goodness.

As he stood by the furnace, the half-saiyan's attention was drawn by two familiar warriors. Gohan scoffed as he figured they were here to keep an eye on him. "Good morning, guys." He greeted.

"Good morning." Suno responded cheerfully.

"Good morning. Don't tell me you're making pancakes!" Itoro cheered as he approached the half-saiyan and looked towards the pile of pancakes.

"I wouldn't dare to let you down now." Gohan said meekly. The half-saiyan turned off the furnace and placed the plate on the kitchen-island. Itoro and Suno were placing plates and cups on the table. Suno filled the cups with coffee while Itoro poured syrup over the pancakes.

The warriors fell silent for a moment as they tucked into the breakfast. The silence was comfortable. It was a typical silence between men who basically spend all their time together and therefore had nothing interesting to tell each other.

However, there was one tiny little thing Gohan was thinking about right now. "So, were you sent here to make sure I don't jump into a space pod and head to planet earth?" He asked as he looked up to them.

Itoro was just taking a sip of coffee and he shrugged as he placed his cup down on the table. "That may have been Lord Tobney's concerns." He responded. Gohan scoffed. "Though I have to admit I'm way more excited about the babysitting now that I know this amazing human dish is involved."

"I agree." Suno added before he took another massive bite from his pancake.

Gohan's gaze lowered to his own food. "How long is your babysitting duty?" He asked.

"We don't know just yet. I guess we're screwed until you two settle your little argument." Suno said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Speaking of which, how long do you think you two will keep it up this time?" Itoro asked casually. "We made a bet of it." His light-blue hand pointed to himself and Suno. His black eyes with only two white pupils studied the half-saiyan as he spoke.

"Did you now?" Gohan was not even surprised. He scratched his naked arm. He didn't feel like wearing a uniform today so he was dressed in a shirt and loose pants. He wasn't a soldier anymore so he didn't have to dress like one.

"Oh yes, we did. I think you'll keep it up for three days." Itoro admitted.

"And I think it will be one day. That's more than enough for you two emotionals to stay angry at each other." Suno said. Emotionals was the name the rest of the Suta Team had for Tobney and Gohan. It referred to the fact that only Gohan and Tobney felt anything about purging planets. They experienced nightmares, guilt and anxiety while the others couldn't care less.

"I don't think so." Itoro responded. "I mean, how often have they fought? It doesn't happen often but when it does, they go at it and they keep going at it for quite some time." The man nodded wisely. "Do you remember that fight they had about that girl?"

"When Gohan secretly told her Tobney had a crush on her?" Suno asked. His gray hands moved to grab another pancake. His blue eyes only met Gohan's gaze for a second before he looked back to Itoro.

"Exactly. The two were angry at each other for a week."

"They would have lasted longer if Comora didn't send them on that mission together." Suno returned. Gohan silently listened to the conversation. He felt somewhat annoyed about the fact that they were discussing several of his more sad memories so calmly. However, he was used to their antics and he didn't feel like fighting them on this.

"But that was only a girl." Itoro stated. "This fight is more about trust and that is way more important."

"It depends on who you're talking about though." Suno countered. "I don't think this is about trust. It's more about their friendship."

"Did Tobney tell you what happened?" Gohan interrupted.

"Sianna and Comora filled us in." Suno responded.

Gohan sighed. "No privacy." He complained.

"Why would you need privacy? We need to be aware of a feud between our two baby comrades. It's bad for business." Suno returned.

Gohan rolled his eyes as he got off the chair to bring his plate to the counter. "Alright. I'm off. I'll see you guys later." He stated this as he walked to the doorway. The youngster stopped walking when he realized Itoro and Suno were following him. Gohan looked over his shoulder. "Seriously? You're going to follow me?"

Suno shrugged. "We're babysitting you, remember? We need to be close to you in order to babysit you."

Gohan made a face. "Right. Okay." He growled before he headed out the door. Suno and Itoro exchanged glances before they followed the youngster. The two men were somewhat surprised at how fast Gohan was suddenly walking. The half-saiyan didn't speak until they were in Comora's office. The youngster headed in without even knocking.

"Comora." Gohan announced once he was inside. The man looked up and widened his eyes. "Call off your dogs."

Comora opened his mouth to answer but then frowned as he changed his mind. The man made a face. "Dejavu moment." He stated. Gohan narrowed his eyes as he walked closer to the desk. "When did I experience this before?" Comora muttered. "Ah, this is going to bug me…"

Gohan fists landed on the silver desk. "Call off your dogs." He repeated.

Comora crossed his arms over each other. "Do you plan on doing anything illegal?"

"No." Gohan also felt as if he'd been through this conversation before. It made him feel a little dizzy but he shook it off.

"Then what's the problem?"

Gohan let out a growl. "Just tell them to stop following me around."

"I can't. The orders came from higher up." Comora responded. "You'll have to talk to Tobney about it." The man gave the frowning half-saiyan a smile. "Or do you have a problem with that?"

Gohan released the desk and stood up straight. "You can tell them to stop following me around, Comora, and you know it."

Comora leaned back on his seat as a smirk appeared on his face. "But that would require me disobeying Tobney's orders. And you wouldn't want to encourage me to do something like that, would you?"

Gohan held Comora's fiery red gaze for a moment. The half-saiyan sighed. "Never mind." He complained. The youngster turned to stalk out the room.

Comora sat up. "And change into a uniform. This looks horrifying on you." He called after the half-saiyan.

Gohan turned halfway. "I'm not a soldier anymore so I don't have to wear the clothing."

"Keep telling yourself that." Comora returned. "For now, you can change into something presentable or the rest of the soldiers on the ship will assume you're a runaway slave. And that would make for uncomfortable results, wouldn't it?" The man noticed the defiant expression on Gohan's face. "Make sure he changes his clothes, will you guys?"

Gohan frowned in response while Suno and Itoro gave agreeing answers. The half-saiyan scoffed. "Oh really? You _can_ order that?"

"It's totally within the limits of Tobney's orders." Comora smiled as he waved them away. "Get to it."

Suno and Itoro approached the half-saiyan, both smiling. Suno gently pressed against his arm until Gohan snatched his arm away. The half-saiyan turned to leave the room, closely followed by his two new shadows.

Not long after this Comora reached Tobney's office. The office was relatively small as it was given to him before he took over the army. Tobney had the right to take Vegeta's office but he didn't want to spend his days in that man's world. No, he was perfectly happy with this office.

The room was brightly lit by the rows of lamps that were built in the ceiling. As he lived on this ship, Tobney had grown fond of the silvery atmosphere and he'd added the same touch to his office. The metal desk was placed in the center of the room. Tobney added a couple of silver closets against the wall. Though they were closed, Comora knew they were practically empty. They were just used to fill up the room. The same went for the sink and table in the corner of the room. A coffee machine was located there as Tobney had gotten used to drinking the stuff.

The manner in which Tobney's elbows were placed on the desk with lower arms raised and his palms up indicated that Tobney was resting his head in his hands before Comora arrived. The youngster now raised his head and gave Comora a wary glance. "You should learn how to knock." He chastised.

"Sorry, sir." Comora responded evenly. "Old habits." He shrugged apologetically.

Tobney briefly considered telling Comora off but he reconsidered and gestured for him to come closer. "Sit down."

"Gohan came to me this morning." Comora spoke while he walked to the desk. "He asked if I could call off Suno and Itoro. I told him he should take it up with you."

"And he didn't want to?" Tobney asked. Comora nodded once. "Well, I guess I could have expected that." Tobney's gaze lowered sadly.

"You should talk to him."

"He doesn't want to talk to me." Tobney responded.

"Have you even tried?"

"Trust me. I know Gohan. He doesn't want to talk to me." Tobney grabbed his coffee. "I'm afraid he may get angry enough to make a run for it. You know, just to send a message that he can just leave the army when he wants to. Sianna looked after him yesterday but due to that self-defense class she wants to teach she cannot spend the day with him today. That's why I sent Suno and Itoro after him."

"Sianna is still going through with the self-defense class?" Comora was curious when it came to this topic. Sianna wanted to make sure that the female slaves could knock any assailant off them if needed. Yes, most soldiers were stronger than the slaves but even a decent fight could allow for the females to run or earn time for someone else to walk by and put a stop to it. She taught the martial arts classes in secret when she was still a slave herself. Now, funded by her own earned money, she was working hard to install a self-defense school for both the male and female slaves. She would teach most of the classes herself but she also conned the rest of her comrades into dedicating at least two hours of their week to her project.

Tobney nodded. "She invests every dime she earns into that school. I just hope it will do as well as she hopes."

"Only time will tell." Comora shrugged. The man leaned back on his seat and gave Tobney a long glance. The youngster realized Comora wanted to move the topic to something else and so he waited patiently, smiling to encourage to older warrior. "Tobney, what I gathered from Sianna's report about your fight, is that you considered your little rebellion a suicide mission."

"Sianna told you about our conversation? Did she approach me on your orders?" Tobney asked.

"That's not the point right now." Comora said, redirecting the conversation. "Tobney, I knew you were unhappy with the arranged marriage. I just didn't know you felt so backed into a corner that the only way out was through death."

Tobney was silent as his gaze focused on the screen of his computer. His blue eyes with only two white pupils seemed somewhat distant as he thought about a response to say to Comora. The older warrior tilted his head sideways as he tried to catch Tobney's gaze. "Tobney?"

Tobney took a breath. "I'm fine, if that's what you're asking. There will be no suicide attempts in the future."

"But it's true? You were planning on dying during the rebellion?"

"Part of me was, yes."

"Tobney, you idiot!" Comora snarled in response as he jumped up. Tobney's eyes widened for a moment. The youngster let out a gasp when Comora reached out. The man grasped Tobney's collar and practically dragged him over the desk towards him. "How could you think like that! Do you have any idea what your death would have done to us? To me? That's the most selfish thing you have ever done in your entire career and I for one do not condone such self-important behavior, do you understand me?"

Tobney was surprised at first but his expression changed throughout Comora's rampage and now a small smile was present on his face. "Yes, sir." He stated meekly. He was aware of the fact that he was no longer required to call Comora 'sir' but he felt that this was the proper answer to give right now.

"Good, and, for future reference, if you ever have even an inkling of such a thought, you will report it straight to me and I will make sure to knock it out of your head, alright?" Comora continued.

"Alright." Tobney agreed. The youngster's feet made contact with the ground and he now realized Comora had actually lifted Tobney up to meet his own face-level. Comora gently placed Tobney back down on the ground.

"Good." Comora seemed to change back into his normal self as he cracked his neck before he crossed his arms over each other. "Now follow me please, sir."

Tobney was again surprised but he nodded meekly and followed his comrade. He wondered what Comora was planning for him.

Meanwhile, Gohan was sitting in the Suta Team common room. The half-saiyan was now wearing a black uniform and a beige armor with black shoulder pads and black stomach guards. His two beige boots and black gloves finished the outfit. Suno and Itoro practically forced him back to his room where they offered to help him change. When Suno actually attempted to take off Gohan's shirt, his younger comrade gave in and went to his room to change his clothes.

After that, the two adults encouraged Gohan to join them in the Suta Team common room. Kaon was already sitting at the high table, working on his laptop and he greeted them cheerfully.

"Alright! Alright!" Gohan snarled as Suno gave encouraging pushes to the high table. The half-saiyan climbed onto the chair and, once seated, he blew out a sigh as he placed his elbows on the table. He curled his fingers together and leaned on them with his chin.

The half-saiyan watched with some annoyance as Suno and Itoro went about their business in the common room. The two gathered their own laptops and grabbed beverages before returning to the table. Gohan now realized how pushy his comrades could be and how effective their way of handling Gohan really was. They didn't ask or tell Gohan to do something. They just pushed and prodded the half-saiyan until Gohan was in the place they wanted him to be in. Gohan didn't stand a chance.

Kaon was studying Gohan quietly for a bit until Gohan met his eyes. "You look annoyed."

"Is it that obvious?" Gohan responded, sending him a glare. "I hope you all didn't forget that I'm not a soldier anymore." He said while he watched as Suno placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

"You're still living in an elite soldier's quarters, aren't you?" Suno returned.

"Yeah, but I-"

"And you're wearing a soldier's uniform." Itoro added as the placed his own laptop on the table.

"You forced me into-"

"And you're still joining in on trainings and you even do some of the work." Suno turned a laptop to the half-saiyan and Gohan recognized a table of salaries for third-class soldiers. Administrating the salaries used to be one of his tasks but he was definitely not planning on doing any more work for the army.

"I'm not going to do this." Gohan responded as he pushed the laptop away.

"You can either work on this or you can spend the upcoming few hours staring into space." Itoro said, smiling innocently. "It's your choice."

"But first," Suno pulled up a projection of the universal newspaper and he turned it so that Gohan could read it, "you can read the newspaper."

The title on the front-page caught Gohan's attention. "WHAT?" The youngster pulled the black machine closer and focused on the image.

 _ **General Gohan turns his back on the universe.**_

 _The most recent update concerning the rebellion disappoints every person in the entire universe as the news came out that General Gohan refuses to take control of the Planet Trade Organization. After rebelling against Lord Vegeta, defeating his teacher and, taking over the army, Gohan has now made a final insult to the universe by refusing to lead the army together with his fellow rebel Tobney. Insiders say an argument has broken out on the top floor of the army as elite soldiers tried to convince Gohan to answer to his duty and lead the army. The rest of the universe waits anxiously while this matter is resolved… Here follows a brief overview of the rebellion…_

Gohan's mouth was open as he continued reading the article. The piece painted Gohan as a rebellious apprentice whom decided he didn't have enough power and overthrew Vegeta only to decide he didn't want the army anymore. The article continued to state how many different people were disappointed and awed by Gohan's treason.

"That's what happens when you're put on a pedestal." Suno teased. "It's a long fall down."

Gohan placed his hand on his forehead as he stared at the article. How could this happen? The half-saiyan glanced to his comrades and he noticed that they were watching his reaction. This meant that they already read the article and they knew exactly what was in it. Gohan shut off the projection while shaking his head.

Suno moved up his hand to answer his beeping scouter. "Suno here. Yep, we'll be right there." He responded. The man glanced to his comrades and nodded.

Gohan was not paying attention to the rest of the group as he thought about the article. He could not believe that the newspaper would say all these bad things about him while they used to be so positive about him. The half-saiyan noticed a change in the atmosphere around him and he looked up just in time to feel a knock against the back of his neck. His world went black instantly.

Suno caught the unconscious half-saiyan. "Woah there." He stated. The man carried the half-saiyan off his chair and cradled the youngster in his arms.

"Do you need some help?" Itoro asked as he stepped closer.

"Do I need help carrying a brat that weighs about 80 kilos? No thank you, I think I can manage it." Suno returned. Itoro put up his hands in defeat.

Meanwhile, Tobney and Comora headed into the simulation room. Tobney turned to Comora once they were inside. "So, what is it you wanted to show me?" He asked.

"Just a second." Comora responded. The two were distracted when the rest of the Suta Team entered the room. "There you are guys!" Comora frowned confusedly and gave a look to Comora.

Suno placed Gohan on the ground, propped up against the wall. The man looked up to Comora and nodded. Tobney's only warning was that Comora nodded back before the man looked to him and gave him a harsh push. Tobney was not ready for this and he tripped and fell back onto the ground. While he fell, Suno pushed against Gohan's shoulder with his boot, throwing the half-saiyan on the ground as well, automatically waking him up.

Tobney gave an annoyed groan as he felt the pain on his elbows from crashing to the ground. The warrior sat up in time to see how the door closed behind Comora. Gohan looked in the same direction while he leaned on the ground with his hands.

Tobney let out a sigh as he got up. "Seriously, Comora? You think this is going to work?"

Comora's voice responded through the speakers. "We don't have time for this childish argument between you two. You will stay here until you've settled this."

Gohan leaned his head back against the wall. "This day just keeps getting better." He muttered sarcastically. He wasn't feeling like getting up. There was nothing to do in the room when it was turned off anyway. It was just a brightly lit white room.

"I hear you saw the article." Comora added.

Tobney frowned as he looked up to the ceiling. "You showed him that? I asked you not to!"

"He needed to see it." Suno responded. "You two need to learn that your actions have consequences, especially when you're the universe's favorite apprentice." Gohan frowned in the response but he didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes.

"Gohan, you don't have to care about the article." Tobney approached the half-saiyan. Gohan opened his eyes and watched as Tobney walked closer. "It's your decision to make. You don't have to answer to the journalists. You really shouldn't listen to-"

"Get away from me." Gohan snarled once Tobney was close enough. Tobney froze. The glare he received from the half-saiyan broke his heart but he nodded and weakly stepped back. He turned and walked away. The warrior walked all the way to the other side of the room and sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall too. There he pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them before he lowered his head to hide his face in the small dark world created by his limbs.

"Real classy, Gohan." Comora commented, noticing that Gohan was still watching Tobney.

Gohan gave another glare at the ceiling. "Hey, you put me in here. I don't have to cooperate. I just want to be left alone." He yelled at the ceiling.

Comora frowned as he looked to through the glass window. The two warriors couldn't see them but they could see the two youngsters. The man turned off the microphone and placed both his turquoise hands against his face.

"They're stubborn." Suno concluded.

"Yeah," Comora lowered his arms, "but we can be stubborn too."

Several hours later, Gohan gasped as rain suddenly started pouring from the ceiling. The half-saiyan was soaked instantly. He noticed a shimmer of light and he ran towards it. A small island of sun was seen and he was surprised when he stepped out of the rain. A table was standing in the center of the room and it was completely dry. The simulated sunlight dried Gohan's hair and clothes quickly. He glanced back to the rain behind him just as Tobney emerged from the rain as well.

Gohan noticed that they were standing in the only dry area of the room. It was a circular area that gave them not much room to move in as the table was standing in the middle of it. Gohan sat down on one of the two chairs. Tobney took the other. The two warriors were now sitting opposite each other.

"Do you think Comora's getting impatient?" Tobney said lightly.

Gohan only showed a small smile as his eyes briefly fluttered to Tobney's gaze. But they lowered almost immediately. The rain crashed down around them as a silence ensued in the room.

Tobney took a breath and he leaned on the table with his lower arms. "You know, this reminds me of our first mission." He stated. He noticed that he gained Gohan's attention as the half-saiyan looked up to him again. "Back in the days, you hated my guts. Probably as much as you hate me now." A shimmer of amusement appeared in Gohan's eyes. This encouraged Tobney to continue: "I remember running after you all day while you told me to get lost. At the time, I guess you thought you were just a temporary addition to the Suta Team so you didn't want to make friends. And I was just so happy to have someone of my age in the team." Tobney's gaze grew distant for a moment. "You gave me so much hope, Gohan. You have no idea."

Suno, Kaon and Itoro exchanged glances as they heard this. Comora leaned on the control panel and he closed his eyes as he let his head lean forwards.

Tobney allowed a silence to fall before he took a deep breath. "Gohan. I am so sorry for disappointing you. I'm sorry for what I said. I'm so sorry for allowing you to go into battle for the wrong reasons."

Gohan shook his head. "That's not what I'm angry about, Tobney. Yes, I am shocked that you were not really planning on winning the match against Vegeta and Comora but that's one thing. What angers me the most is that you didn't tell me about it. You should have told me, Tobney. Your conflicted feelings could have lost us the match. What if you hesitated for even one moment because you preferred to die? You could have lost the fight with Comora. And you didn't only put me in danger but also Sianna, and Iko and Bru and Sion and every other soldier who helped us. Vegeta would have executed every rebelling soldier. There are a lot of people who risked their lives that day and some of them even died. They had the right to know that you started this battle for the wrong reasons."

"You're right." Tobney responded. "You're totally right. I made a huge mistake and I don't think I can do anything to fix it. But I will try. I will try to fix it." The warrior showed a sad face as he tried to catch Gohan's gaze.

Gohan couldn't help but smile when he noticed the puppy-dog eyes in front of him. "Ah man," he complained, "why can I not stay angry with you?" He placed his lower arms on the table. His hands were near the center of the table as he moved his palms upwards. He gave Tobney a questioning glance. His friend responded by placing his pale hands on Gohan's palms. The half-saiyan grasped his hands. "We're in this together remember?"

Tobney smiled in response. "I remember."

"Good. Now, let's make a promise to each other." Gohan held Tobney's hands. "From now on, you will tell me when you're experiencing life-altering thoughts."

"I promise." Tobney stated.

"Good. And in return," Gohan took a deep breath and blew it out before he continued his sentence, "I will stay here to help you rebuild the army." He noticed the lights in Tobney's eyes. "We'll lead the army together."

Tobney released Gohan's hands and walked around the table to take the half-saiyan in his arms. "Thank you, Gohan. Thank you so much." Gohan rolled his eyes for a moment but he hugged his friend back. The rain stopped falling from the ceiling and the room changed back to its standard white state.

"But first," Tobney stepped back as he held Gohan's gaze, "we need to teach our subordinates a lesson."

A grin appeared on Gohan's face. He could not agree more.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **And revenge is so sweet ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Dear Sweet Revenge

**DumDaDumDum.**

 **Previously on Slave Soldier 3:**

 _Gohan shook his head. "That's not what I'm angry about, Tobney. Yes, I am shocked that you were not really planning on winning the match against Vegeta and Comora but that's one thing. What angers me the most is that you didn't tell me about it. You should have told me, Tobney. Your conflicted feelings could have lost us the match. What if you hesitated for even one moment because you preferred to die? You could have lost the fight with Comora. And you didn't only put me in danger but also Sianna, and Iko and Bru and Sion and every other soldier who helped us. Vegeta would have executed every rebelling soldier. There are a lot of people who risked their lives that day and some of them even died. They had the right to know that you started this battle for the wrong reasons."_

" _You're right." Tobney responded. "You're totally right. I made a huge mistake and I don't think I can do anything to fix it. But I will try. I will try to fix it." The warrior showed a sad face as he tried to catch Gohan's gaze._

 _Gohan couldn't help but smile when he noticed the puppy-dog eyes in front of him. "Ah man," he complained, "why can I not stay angry with you?" He placed his lower arms on the table. His hands were near the centre of the table as he moved his palms upwards. He gave Tobney a questioning glance. His friend responded by placing his pale hands on Gohan's palms. The half-saiyan grasped his hands. "We're in this together remember?"_

 _Tobney smiled in response. "I remember."_

" _Good. Now, let's make a promise to each other." Gohan held Tobney's hands. "From now on, you will tell me when you're experiencing life-altering thoughts."_

" _I promise." Tobney stated._

" _Good. And in return," Gohan took a deep breath and blew it out before he continued his sentence, "I will stay here to help you rebuild the army." He noticed the lights in Tobney's eyes. "We'll lead the army together."_

 _Tobney released Gohan's hands and walked around the table to take the half-saiyan in his arms. "Thank you, Gohan. Thank you so much." Gohan rolled his eyes for a moment but he hugged his friend back. The rain stopped falling from the ceiling and the room changed back to its standard white state._

" _But first," Tobney stepped back as he held Gohan's gaze, "we need to teach our subordinates a lesson."_

 _A grin appeared on Gohan's face. He could not agree more._

 **Chapter 4. Dear Sweet Revenge.**

Tobney and Gohan were standing in the entrance to the small control room. The two warriors were smiling innocently as they eyed their former squad leader. The rest of the Suta Team stood by hesitantly until Gohan directed his eyes to them. "Get lost." He ordered.

The warriors nodded hastily and all ran for it. Gohan turned his smile back to Comora. The man stepped back when the two youngsters stepped closer to him. Gohan clasped his hands behind his back. Comora pursed his lips. "I did this for you." He stated. "Don't forget that."

"Are you afraid we're angry?" Gohan asked, still smiling. It gave Comora the creeps.

"I just wanted to state the obvious." Comora responded. His fiery red eyes shot from Tobney to Gohan and back.

"So you did." Tobney showed the exact same terrifying smile as he stepped closer to Comora.

"Two against one is not really fair, now is it?" Comora muttered hesitantly. How was he afraid of two brats who were both half his age?

"I don't think you can complain to us when it comes to outnumbering someone." Tobney returned easily. The man crossed his pale arms over each other. "Kneel down for us."

Comora widened his eyes. "What?"

"I'd prefer it if you addressed us with the proper pronoun. So it's 'what, sir?' for you. Do you understand, Comora?" Gohan said strictly.

Comora's fiery red gaze focused on the half-saiyan for a moment. "You decided to help Tobney." He concluded.

Gohan's gaze became even stricter. "Did you not understand my request, Comora?"

Comora fell silent for a moment as he thought this over. "Yes, sir. I understood it perfectly."

"Good." Tobney was still smiling. "So, I just gave you an order."

"You're not serious?"

"Very much so, I'm afraid."

Comora eyed the two serious expressions in front of him. He realized they were just pushing him back in his place. Part of him rebelled against the thought of kneeling down for these two brats. However, another part of him knew he had to obey them. They were in charge now. The man slowly sank through his knees. He realized they were not going to give him any more room than he already had so he was forced to lower his head to their boots.

"I don't see your forehead touching the ground." Gohan stated coolly.

"That's because your boots are in the way." Comora snarled in response. The man didn't even get time to regret this statement as Gohan's boot moved up and landed on the back of his head. The man could feel a sharp pain run through his head as his turquoise forehead collided with the ground harshly. Gohan pressed down on the man's head.

"Did I just hear you talk back to me?" Gohan asked in an almost sweet way.

Vegeta taught him well.

"No, sir. I'm sorry, sir." Comora growled out. He could feel his heart pounding in his head. Shame at being treated in this manner filled his body. The pain became very much present as Gohan pressed down on his head.

"Good, cause I don't like it when my subordinates talk back to me. So, from now on, you'll be a good subordinate, won't you Comora?" Gohan continued in the same sweet voice.

"Yes, sir."

"Repeat my words for me please."

"I'll be a good subordinate, sir."

"Perfect." Gohan released Comora and stepped back. "Now, pledge your loyalty to me."

Comora hesitated as his fiery red eyes moved to look up at Gohan. The man was still kneeling painfully on the ground. He didn't expect Gohan to get on such a power trip. The half-saiyan gave a strict expression back. "Did I stutter?" the youngster asked.

Comora lowered his gaze again. The man closed his eyes for a moment before he let out a breath. "I pledge my loyalty to you, lord Gohan."

The half-saiyan was quite surprised how much he enjoyed doing this to Comora. A tiny part of him recalled how Comora and Vegeta tormented him in the past. They would gang up on him whenever Vegeta decided Gohan needed to be punished and they would torment him for hours. The half-saiyan could now feel a longing to make Comora pay for everything the man ever did to him.

"Good. Now follow us while we find the rest of the team." Gohan ordered before he turned to leave the room.

The rest of the Suta Team was rounded up pretty quickly. Gohan and Tobney gathered them all in one room. "Alright, guys." Gohan stated as he stopped in front of them. "Today, Tobney and I want to introduce you to the new reality. And we want to make sure you guys understand us."

Tobney took his position next to Gohan and he sent a smile to his comrades. "Take off you armours and uniforms." He ordered calmly.

The warriors stared at him. "What?" Suno asked. The man didn't even see Gohan coming. The half-saiyan pushed his fist deep into the man's stomach. The half-saiyan stepped back as Suno sank through his knees. The man's grey hands were shaking as they landed on the ground to support him. His blue eyes were opened wide while he tried to ride out the pain Gohan just inflicted on him.

"Does anyone else need any more encouragement?" Gohan asked as he looked around to the rest of the warriors.

The group was silent for only a moment. Suno was the first one to start to remove his uniform. Itoro followed his example. Kaon glanced to Comora but he did not receive a glance from his squad leader. Tobney and Gohan waited patiently for the warriors to strip to their underwear. Sianna was sitting in their corner of the room. She was a little hesitant as to whether or not she was allowed to be present at this little show.

Then again, she had been forced to take off her clothes while they were present as well. She could still remember how her cheeks heated up when Vegeta ordered her to take off her slave dress. Her hesitance must have shown as Vegeta only smirked at her and told her slaves didn't have feelings and so she could not feel embarrassed to take off her clothes while men were present. She was a woman, after all. It was what women did. Sianna had forced herself to stay strong as she reached up to unwind the knot that kept her dress up. At the time, she thought that the flogging she received after that was the punishment but now she understood that the humiliation of having to take off her clothes in front of an audience and get down on all fours while only wearing briefs was very much part of the punishment as well. And it worked; she couldn't look them in the eyes for months.

Once they were all clad in only their underwear, they stood in one line, their hands clasped behind their backs. Tobney and Gohan were circling the warriors as their subordinates were undressing. Now, Tobney walked along their front. The warrior halted once he was near Itoro as he picked up a rebellious thought coming from his subordinate.

Tobney stepped closer to Itoro. "I can almost feel your annoyed thoughts." He stated sweetly. "What's the problem?"

Itoro's entirely black orbs lowered to look at the ground. "Nothing, sir." He murmured. He clasped his light-blue hands tighter behind his back as Tobney stepped closer to him.

"Are you sure?" Tobney asked.

Kaon cleared his throat and the rest of the warriors glanced to him. "I think you're overstepping the boundaries, sir. We have rights." He stated. His brown hands were also curled together behind his back and his light-blue eyes that contained no pupils were staring straight ahead.

Tobney raised both his eyebrows as he stepped closer to Kaon. "You do, huh?" Tobney nodded once as a serious expression appeared on his pale face. "Alright. Well, just in case any of you are worried about this. I promise you now; I will not do anything to you that you haven't done to me."

Comora closed his eyes as the direness of the situation became clear to him. Kaon frowned thoughtfully. Suno let out a sigh and muttered: "Oh dear…"

Itoro pursed his lips. "But that's almost anything." He fell silent as he noticed Tobney's grin.

"Exactly." Tobney turned away from them and approached his best friend.

"Now, get on your hands and knees." Gohan ordered. The warriors followed his orders without complaining. Tobney turned to a bag that was lying on the ground and he pulled out three large bats. The twenty-five-year-old handed one to Gohan. After this he headed for Sianna. The young woman was watching the adults as a frown etched its way onto her face.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Tobney asked.

Sianna looked to him and the look in his eyes made her realize that he was also present at her punishment years ago. He was there when she had to take off her clothes and kneel down to take the beating. They were recreating the punishment she received years ago. She also remembered that Tobney refused to take part in it at the time. That resulted in a punishment for him as well. Maybe that was why he still remembered that day too.

Tobney held out a bat for her and she took it. Sianna jumped off the table and followed Tobney to the centre of the room. There, Gohan was waiting for them. The half-saiyan was already standing behind Itoro. He casually tossed the bat in the air and caught it.

The older warriors all stared at the ground, still on all-fours. They were silent and tensed as they knew that they were going to get hurt. They just weren't sure what was going to happen just yet.

"Alright, guys." Tobney stated while he walked back to the group. "Consider this both a punishment and warning. We will not be afraid to punish you. If you ever cross one of us, we will return the favour, and, it will hurt. Badly." Tobney noticed that Gohan was already standing behind Itoro. "Eager, are we, Gohan?"

"Very." Gohan grinned in return. He tossed the bat in the air again.

"Well then. By all means, you can begin." Tobney returned the sentiment and then gestured for Gohan to go ahead.

"Alright." Gohan caught the bat and grabbed it with both his hands. "Don't worry, Itoro. This will only hurt for a second. Every time." The young warrior swung his bat up before he smashed it down against Itoro's backside.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan handed the full glasses to Sianna and Tobney. "So, what's the plan now?" Sianna asked after they made a toast with their glasses and took a sip from the drinks.

"Now, we face the music." Gohan responded as he sat down on the edge of Tobney's desk. "Well, I have to. I'll have to talk to every magazine and paper and explain my side of the story to them."

"What are you going to tell them?" Sianna asked.

"The truth." Gohan shrugged. "Part of it. I'll leave planet Earth out of it but the main gist of the story will be the truth. That Vegeta took me against my will and forced me to work as a slave for him." The half-saiyan blew out a sigh. "This is going to be tough."

"It will be tough." Tobney agreed. He was sitting on the chair behind his desk. "But we'll get through it together. From now on, we'll be a team."

Gohan smiled at him. "We always were." Tobney returned his smile.

"Get a room." Sianna placed a hand on her hip.

"Only if you join us." Tobney returned. Gohan's gaze moved from Tobney to Sianna as they spoke. "A threesome! Wouldn't that be awesome? Let's see if you can hold your own with the two strongest warriors in the universe."

Sianna wasn't impressed at all. "Why don't you ask Gohan?"

The half-saiyan put up his hands. "Leave me out of this, please." The typical bickering between his two friends never failed to amuse him.

"No, we need you to be in the middle. How would we have a threesome without you?" Tobney teased, grinning at the younger warrior. Sianna laughed in response.

Gohan shook his head. "And I didn't think you could get any crazier."

"I'm crazy about you." Tobney leaned on the desk with his elbows.

"Ditto." Sianna stepped closer and reached out to caress Gohan's cheek. She smiled as she leaned in closer. "So, what are we waiting for?" She pressed a kiss on his lips. Gohan's arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

Tobney raised an eyebrow. "You're already getting started?" He asked weakly. He wasn't sure whether Sianna was now taking the joke even further or whether this was getting serious.

The kiss between Sianna and Gohan became more intense and now Gohan reached out a hand for Tobney. His best friend jumped up and away from them. "Hey, I was just kidding." He stated as he waved his hands in front of him.

A giggle from Sianna made Tobney lower his arms. He now noticed the chuckles coming from his two best friends and he couldn't help but feel somewhat amused. How did those two manage to turn the tables on him so quickly? Sianna grinned as she leaned against her boyfriend. Gohan was still shaking a little bit as chuckles escaped him while he glanced to his best friend. Tobney laughed as well.

"Man, you had me there!" Tobney exclaimed before he sat down again. "Alright. I learned my lesson. I will never try to tease one of you again while you two are in the same room."

Gohan's arm gently squeezed Sianna's shoulders. He didn't release her and shifted so that they could continue to stand this close while they continued their conversation. The young woman turned to Gohan and placed her hand on his chest armour. "So, now that you're staying. You wouldn't mind teaching one of the classes for my self-defence school, would you?"

Gohan hesitated. He definitely wasn't feeling like being roped into teaching a martial arts class. Tobney leaned back on his seat, amused by the question. He knew Gohan would not be able to say no to Sianna. It didn't matter how much Gohan did not want to do this, he would give in to Sianna eventually.

"I'm not sure I know how to teach a self-defence class." Gohan answered.

Sianna shook her head. "Don't be so modest. You taught me how to fight, remember? And you were only thirteen. You knew exactly what to do back then." She blew out a sigh. "You were so young." Her yellow eyes turned to Tobney. "Do you remember how young he used to be?"

"I definitely do." Tobney said meekly. His smile softened as he thought about the thirteen-year-old half-saiyan. He'd known the youngster since Gohan was only eleven. He could still remember how Gohan slowly but surely grew into the man he was now.

"Please." Sianna smiled as she leaned closer to the half-saiyan. Gohan hesitated but he could already feel his defences slipping away. What did it matter if he taught a couple of classes? It would make Sianna happy and that would automatically make him happy, right? He may as well…

Tobney couldn't help but smile as he watched the master at work. He didn't often realize just how well Sianna knew how to push Gohan's buttons. She could talk the half-saiyan into anything. Then again, she also talked Tobney and the rest of the crew into teaching the classes. How did she manage to convince them? He couldn't even remember how she did…

Sianna's fingers gently moved along the naked skin just above Gohan's uniform. The youngster could feel a thrill of excitement run through his body. Her golden eyes looked up at him and seemed to draw him in. The half-saiyan took a breath. "I guess I could teach one class."

Sianna's smile widened and she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you!" She stated before she pressed a kiss on his lips. After this she released him and the spell was broken. Gohan blinked while Sianna was already walking away. "I'll work you into the schedule. See you later, guys!"

Gohan lowered his gaze and realized what he just agreed to. He also realized just how Sianna played him. The half-saiyan was aware of Tobney's amused smile and he pointed to his friend. "Not a word!" He stated.

Tobney chuckled as he put up his hands. "Just thinking how easily I could have talked you into anything if I only had golden eyes and pouty lips."

Gohan sent him a glare in response. Tobney grinned and was about to say something when his computer beeped. The man checked the message. "I have a meeting with Comora right now. You may as well join now that you're part of the team."

Gohan nodded. "What time?"

"Right now. Five minutes ago actually." Tobney frowned. "Comora is never late. What's up?"

Gohan had a hunch. "Call him and find out."

"Good idea." Tobney turned to his computer and activated a call to Comora's personal scouter. "Comora?" Tobney asked, smiling. "We have a meeting scheduled right now. Where are you?"

A brief silence hung in the air. "I figured the meeting would be postponed." Comora responded.

Tobney raised an eyebrow at Gohan. "Why would we do that?" He asked. Gohan shrugged in response.

"I'll be right there, sir."

"Good." Tobney pressed a button to terminate the conversation and he smiled at Gohan. "Someone is experiencing the after-punishment-embarrassment." He said in a sing-song voice.

"Well, he should get over it." Gohan responded. "We did. I'm going to get some more wine. Can I get you anything?" He offered as he got up from the desk.

"We need to teach you how to drink properly. Wine, honestly." Tobney studied the younger warrior.

Gohan shrugged. "That's what happens when you live with Vegeta for years." The half-saiyan grabbed his glass and Tobney's glass. "So, I have to get beer for the brute?"

"Perfect." Tobney grinned. The man watched as Gohan walked away to grab the drinks. His attention was drawn to the doorway when the doors opened and Comora stepped in the room. He knelt down.

"I'm here for the meeting, sir."

"At ease." Tobney responded. "Do you want a drink, Comora?"

"I would appreciate a nice cold beer, sir." Comora got up and approached the desk.

"Did you hear that, Gohan?" Tobney sent his best friend an innocent smile. "Real men order a beer."

"Well, I'm still a kid, aren't I?" Gohan responded meekly. The half-saiyan was already pouring Comora's drink as well. He grabbed a serving plate and carried the drinks over to his comrades. "There you go." The half-saiyan sent his comrade a smile. "You can sit down, you know." He offered.

Comora eyed the chair for a moment. He took a breath and sat down. The man moved deliberately and somewhat slow in order to soften the pain he was obviously trying to hide from his comrades.

Gohan and Tobney exchanged amused glances. They expected Comora to find it difficult to sit after the punishment they gave him. It was interesting to see how he tried to hide it though.

"Right." Tobney curled his hands together and placed them on the table. "Let's get down to business." Gohan and Comora agreed. The following few hours they spend deciding what the best course to take from now on was. Gohan reluctantly agreed to several interviews, which Comora offered to schedule for him. After that they discussed how to throw a party to announce the new leaders of the largest company in the universe.

Several hours later, they decided to call it a day. Comora gathered the empty glasses so that he could bring them back to the small kitchen. "Oh, actually, I have one last topic I wanted to bring to your attention." He said, earning Gohan and Tobney's attention. "Now that you are staying, sir," he nodded to Gohan, "what are we going to do with Vegeta?"

"What do you mean?" Tobney asked, crossing his arms over each other.

"Are you planning on making Vegeta live in the detention centre for months?" Comora asked.

"I don't see the problem."

"Tobney... I mean, Lord Tobney." Comora corrected his own mistake as he noticed the dark look he received from his master. "We don't know how long lord Gohan and Vegeta will stay here. The detention centre is not built to hold prisoners for a long period of time."

Gohan sipped from his drink and gave a look to Tobney. He noticed that his best friend's tiny blue pupils were looking back at him. "What do you say?" Tobney asked.

"Me?" Gohan asked. He went to say that his opinion didn't matter but then he realized that he was the leader of this army now. His opinion did matter. The youngster shrugged. "I agree with Comora." He noticed the dark look he received from his best friend. "The detention centre is not made to hold people for longer than a couple of days."

"It's Vegeta." Tobney stated. "He tortured you for years. He locked you up in rooms smaller than the one he is in now and he ..."

"I know what he did to me." Gohan interrupted. "It's in the past."

Tobney's eyes focused on his best friend for a moment before he took a deep breath and looked to Comora. "Fine. We'll let him out."

"Really?" Comora seemed surprised by this answer.

"Yes, I mean, if anyone has a right to hate Vegeta its Gohan." Tobney stated. "If Gohan can forgive him then so can I." The young warrior leaned back in his seat. "Somehow."

Gohan showed a smile. "Alright. We will make rules though. He will have to wear ki-bonds. And he is not allowed to train. And he has to wear a prisoner's outfit." He got up from his chair. "Let's go release him before you change your mind, Tobney."

Tobney chuckled. "You know me too well. Okay, let's do it." He got up as well.

The three warriors gathered the ki-bonds and the clothes. Gohan grabbed the white shirt and pants. These clothing signalled to everyone in the ship that Vegeta was a prisoner. Gohan knew that this would be difficult to accept for someone as proud as Vegeta. He would have to allow soldiers to see him in the prisoner's clothing. His status would be below even the standard slaves.

Vegeta seemed surprised that they were releasing him. Tobney explained that Gohan decided to help Tobney for a couple of months. Gohan didn't miss how Vegeta's dark gaze moved to him straight away. The youngster didn't respond to his gaze though. Meanwhile, Tobney also told Vegeta about the rules the full-blooded Saiyan had to accept before he could be released. The man was hesitant for a moment but then accepted the rules. Tobney opened the cage so that Comora could wrap the ki-bonds around Vegeta's wrists.

The man looked on curiously as the ki-bonds lit up. This meant they were draining the power Vegeta was trying to show. The man looked up. "5000?" He asked. He wondered if the ki-bonds were activated once Vegeta's power level went above the 5000.

Tobney nodded in response. "Exactly." Vegeta looked back down to the ki-bonds. "You know the rules." Tobney said.

"I do." Vegeta now looked up to Tobney. "Thank you." He stated.

Tobney was taken off guard by this. He allowed a smile to appear on his face. "Your welcome." He could play that game too. He would allow Vegeta to guess whether or not he was serious. "Just don't bother me."

"Don't worry, sir." Vegeta stated. "You're the last person I would willingly spend time with."

"Right back at you." Tobney turned away from Vegeta and left the room. Gohan watched as Comora followed his example. The half-saiyan turned to do the same thing. As he walked, he soon realized he was being followed.

"Oh goody, you're following me." Gohan stated.

"So, you're the leader of this army now." Vegeta caught up with him. "It's interesting. I seem to remember that you didn't want the army."

"It's temporary."

"Temporary, you say? Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to be under the impression that you will announce the new leadership during a party soon." Vegeta smirked at the half-saiyan. "It sounds pretty definite to me." Gohan only glanced in his direction. "And you hate those parties so why are you committing to this one?"

Gohan didn't respond but only kept staring straight ahead. That was fine since Vegeta had enough to say. "Admit it, kiddo. You're still stuck in my spider web." He taunted. "You cannot escape the world I spun around you." As they entered Gohan's office through the automatic doors, Gohan wished he had doors he could slam into Vegeta's face. "To the rest of the universe, you are still my little apprentice and there's nothing you can do about it."

Gohan now stopped walking and turned to face Vegeta. "Maybe." Gohan stated. "But what I know for now is that you are my prisoner. So I can tell you to get the hell out of my office before I kick you out."

Vegeta showed a smirk and he made an exaggerated bow. "As you wish, milord." He managed to say this in a taunting manner. After this he turned and walked out the room.

The half-saiyan watched Vegeta walk away. The man thought he had gotten the better of Gohan. And maybe he was right. The youngster allowed his body to fall down on his chair and he blew out a sigh.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"And that's the truth." The entire room was silent as the journalists all stared at Gohan. He just told the truth. Finally, he could admit that Vegeta enslaved him and that he didn't join the army willingly. Finally, he was allowed to say whatever he wanted to say.

The press conference was Comora's idea. It would allow Gohan to tell his story only once. And it would take a lot less time out of Gohan's schedule as he could talk to several journalists at once.

One journalist raised her hand and Comora nodded to her. "So if this is the true story, why did you always maintain that you were saved by Vegeta?"

Gohan took a deep breath. "Vegeta forced me to maintain that story. I had no choice but to follow his orders. He threatened to hurt me or my friends if I didn't listen to him."

Another journalist raised his hand. This man seemed younger than the rest. He had bright blue eyes and a lighter-blue skin tone. "So why should we believe you now?"

"Yes," Another journalist backed him up, "your story doesn't add up. You've been working for Vegeta for years. You were taking over his position. You were high up. Why would you now decide to overthrow Vegeta?"

"It sounds like you're just making this story up to get us on your side." Another journalist added.

Comora stepped forwards. "The rules are that you speak after I've given my approval. Please don't deviate from those rules or I'll be forced to remove you from the conference room." He stepped back and looked to Gohan.

The half-saiyan gave the man a thankful smile before he took a deep breath and addressed the latest speaker. "I know that it sounds bad. For years, I've been acting as if I was Vegeta's faithful apprentice, and, to be honest, for years I thought I was. But recently, Vegeta tried to force me and my close friends to do things we didn't want to do and that sort of encouraged me to stop him." He took a breath. "What most people don't know is that Vegeta and I had a deal. He knew that I had the power to challenge him and he even told me that I could do so whenever I wanted. He would be ready for me. So I did and he lost."

Comora nodded to one of the journalists to give her permission to speak. "You said that Vegeta tried to force you to do something you really didn't want to do. What's that?"

"I'd like to keep that to myself, please."

"One of the most recent developments was your relationship to Lady Lizis. Was that what Vegeta was forcing you to do?" The journalist continued. A brief ripple of voices went through the room. "Rumour has it that you're now in a relationship with a former slave," the journalist checked her notes, "Sianna. Was the relationship between you and Lizis a lie?"

Gohan could feel his heart beating in his chest. He didn't want to talk about Lizis during this press conference. It would hurt her credentials. He hadn't had the chance to talk to her yet. "Lady Lizis and I are very close and I…."

"But you're not in love? You were seen kissing. Why were you kissing if you're not in love?"

Gohan opened his mouth to answer the question but Comora got there first. "Please remove Miss Juli from the room." He ordered.

"What?" Juli looked to Comora. "Are you throwing me out because I'm asking difficult questions?"

"No, you spoke without my approval."

"It reeks of censorship." Juli returned. The guards were already walking towards her but she didn't stop talking. "You just don't want lord Gohan to answer the questions. At least Lord Vegeta answered everything."

Gohan frowned in response. "Wait." He stated. Everyone froze and looked to him. "Leave Miss Juli alone." He looked to the guards as he said this. They nodded and walked back to their station. Gohan now looked to Juli. "You're right. I'll answer your question."

Comora stepped back to let Gohan speak. "To be honest," Gohan started, "I hesitate to speak about my relationship with Lady Lizis because she is not here. I promise you now that as soon as I can talk to her, I will organize another press conference in which we will both speak to you about our relationship. For now, please try to keep the main focus of the conference on my new role as the leader of this army."

The journalists appeared to accept this as a proper answer. Comora nodded to show his respect to Gohan before he turned to the new hands that were raised up in the air. "Alright, Mister Soon." He gave the journalist permission to ask his question.

Gohan smiled as he turned his attention to this journalist. This conference may not be such a miserable affair after all.

After the conference, Comora turned to Gohan. "Good job. I think you managed to convince most of the reporters." He complimented.

Tobney approached them. The young warrior grinned to his best friend. "I watched the entire thing from the back. You were amazing!" He cheered.

Gohan thanked him. "At least it's over."

"For now." Comora added. "I know that you hated always being in the spotlights but it will be even worse now. The entire universe will be watching your every step from now on. Just make sure you don't trip."

"I know." Gohan took a deep breath. "I know." Comora shrugged before he left the youngsters.

Tobney slung an arm around Gohan's shoulders. "Don't let him get to you." He stated. "We're in this together, remember?"

Gohan smiled in return. "Yes, we are. We're in this together."

 ****** Two Days Later ******

"Why are we doing this again?" Gohan studied his reflection. He was wearing a velvet blue uniform with black armour. The uniform was decorated with several badges and medals of honour. He wasn't entirely sure if he was proud of these signs of honour.

"Publicity is part of the job." Tobney responded. "It is a tedious, horrifying part of the job."

"Ah, don't complain so much." Suno smiled as he looked the two youngsters up and down. The rest of the warriors were all getting ready as well. Itoro was just wrestling his body into a blue uniform. Kaon clicked the band of his armour to the body of it. "You two have the perfect look for these charades."

A silence fell in the room when a new arrival appeared. The young woman's lavender hair was decorated with small rubies and glitters. A dark-blue dress was hugging her now quite full body. Her brown eyes searched the room before they landed on her lover and she smiled.

Tobney almost jumped up and he quickly approached her. "Kanda! I was hoping you would make it." He grasped her hands.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss the promotion of my husband." She returned, grinning widely. "Oh my, have you gotten yourself in trouble now."

Tobney grinned in return as he reached up and nervously scratched his head. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't worry you."

"It's okay. You're still here, right. That's all that matters." Kanda smiled as she reached up and pulled him closer so that they could exchange a kiss. Gohan watched with a mixture of happiness and unease. He was glad that Tobney and Kanda really liked each other but he knew that their relationship was not necessarily their idea. They were forced into it. Kanda's eyes glanced around the room and settled on the half-saiyan. "Gohan!" She cheered before she ran closer to the half-saiyan. Gohan noticed how Tobney made a worried face and attempted to stop Kanda from hurrying around the room. The half-saiyan couldn't help but smile at this. He knew his best friend would make a great husband and an even greater father.

"Lady Kanda. It's good to see you." Gohan got up while Kanda moved closer to him. He accepted her hand and moved it towards his forehead until her hand almost touched his flesh. By doing this he showed great respect towards the relationship between Tobney and Kanda but still managed to pay respect to Kanda's position.

"Gohan, I am disappointed in you." Kanda stated, frowning. "Honestly, I know Tobney is an idiot. I depend on you to make sure he doesn't get himself in too much trouble. And now look what happened."

"Hey!" Tobney complained weakly.

Gohan grinned in response. "I think his idiocy rubbed off on me."

"Obviously." Kanda returned. She smiled at her husband as he appeared next to her. The two entangled their hands together.

Comora ushered a complaining Sianna into the room. The young woman noticed the manner in which eyes and faces turned towards her and she pointed at them. "Not a word! Anyone who says anything will be castrated on the spot!" She threatened. Her body was covered by a light-blue dress.

Suno and Kaon exchanged grins while Tobney moved up his hand to hide his chuckle. They all knew how much Sianna hated dresses. "Yeah yeah," Comora directed Sianna to a chair, "Lord Gohan, please make sure your girlfriend stays here while I go get the makeup-artist."

Gohan smiled to his girlfriend. "Will do." He went to stand behind Sianna's chair and placed his hands on her practically naked shoulders. The small light-blue bands of the dress didn't cover much. He gently massaged her shoulders. "For what it's worth, you look beautiful."

Sianna took a deep breath. "Thanks." She muttered. She gazed at her own reflection. "Look at me. This won't scare anyone." Gohan dismissed the brief thought that she looked very scary to him. But she didn't need an outfit to look scary. Her angry expression would do that for her.

"What's wrong with the dress?" Gohan asked.

"It's way too tight." Sianna complained. "And it's cut too low." Her hand pulled on the fabric of her dress so that it was covering her cleavage more.

"Don't." Gohan said sweetly. "I quite like the few from up here."

Sianna gave him a confused look but then realized that he could see right down her cleavage. She scoffed and elbowed him in the side. Gohan chuckled in response. Sianna sighed. "You heard what Comora said." She lowered her voice to imitate Comora's voice. "Make sure your girlfriend stays here." She returned to her normal voice. "That's what I'll be from now on; Lord Gohan's girlfriend. I am the woman who slept her way to a powerful position."

"You know that's not what happened." Gohan returned. The half-saiyan gently kneaded a tight knot in Sianna's back.

"But that's what everyone will think."

"Who cares what everyone thinks." Gohan shrugged. "What do you think they say about me? I'm the ungrateful apprentice who stabbed his own mentor in the back to gain control of the company."

"And what about the nobody who yearned for the spotlights and risked ruining the most influential company in the universe to get there." Tobney pointed to himself and showed a smile. "We stopped caring what people say a long time ago."

"That's easier said than done though." Sianna said stubbornly.

"True." Gohan admitted. "We'll be here to help you."

"And I will be here too." Comora reappeared with the hairdresser and the makeup-artist. Gohan was waved away. The half-saiyan sat down on his chair again and watched curiously as the two professionals worked on his girlfriend's appearance.

Once they were done, Gohan smiled to Sianna. The female warrior got up as she studied her reflection. The hairdresser made two braids on the sides of Sianna's head and pulled them back so they met each other on the back of Sianna's head. It was strange how much the hairdresser could do with so little hair. Sianna still kept her hair short now.

Gohan held out his hands so that she could grab them. "You look amazing." He stated.

"You too." Sianna looked him up and down. "I have to admit that Vegeta is right when he says that you look perfect for publicity. You clean up well."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I think that's the first time that you actually agree with Vegeta."

"Yes, and the last time. I feel horrifying." A smile appeared on Sianna's face. "You need to knock me in the head now."

Gohan opened his mouth to respond but Comora came walking in the room. "Everyone ready?" He called. Heads turned in his direction and Comora nodded. "Alright. Kaon, Suno, Itoro, come with me. Gohan, Tobney, Kanda and Sianna. You need to get to the main entrance. You'll enter at my sign. Okay?"

Everyone nodded and agreed. Gohan gently squeezed in Sianna's hand as they walked to the room from which they would enter the ballroom. "Get ready," the half-saiyan stated, "for the perfect charade."

 **Please review and let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5: Facing Reality

**Previously on Slave Soldier 3:**

" _Now, let's make a promise to each other." Gohan held Tobney's hands. "From now on, you will tell me when you're experiencing life-altering thoughts."_

" _I promise." Tobney stated._

" _Good. And in return," Gohan took a deep breath and blew it out before he continued his sentence, "I will stay here to help you rebuild the army." He noticed the lights in Tobney's eyes. "We'll lead the army together."_

 _Tobney released Gohan's hands and walked around the table to take the half-saiyan in his arms. "Thank you, Gohan. Thank you so much." Gohan rolled his eyes for a moment but he hugged his friend back. The rain stopped falling from the ceiling and the room changed back to its standard white state._

" _But first," Tobney stepped back as he held Gohan's gaze, "we need to teach our subordinates a lesson."_

 _A grin appeared on Gohan's face. He could not agree more._

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 _Gohan released Comora and stepped back. "Now, pledge your loyalty to me."_

 _Comora hesitated as his fiery red eyes moved to look up at Gohan. The man was still kneeling painfully on the ground. He didn't expect Gohan to get on such a power trip. The half-saiyan gave a strict expression back. "Did I stutter?" the youngster asked._

 _Comora lowered his gaze again. The man closed his eyes for a moment before he let out a breath. "I pledge my loyalty to you, lord Gohan."_

 _The half-saiyan was quite surprised how much he enjoyed doing this to Comora. A tiny part of him recalled how Comora and Vegeta tormented him in the past. They would gang up on him whenever Vegeta decided Gohan needed to be punished and they would torment him for hours. The half-saiyan could now feel a longing to make Comora pay for everything the man ever did to him._

 _"Good. Now follow us while we find the rest of the team." Gohan ordered before he turned to leave the room._

 _The rest of the Suta Team was rounded up pretty quickly. Gohan and Tobney gathered them all in one room. "Alright, guys." Gohan stated as he stopped in front of them. "Today, Tobney and I want to introduce you to the new reality. And we want to make sure you guys understand us."_

**** **DBZ **** DBZ ******

" _For now." Comora added. "I know that you hated always being in the spotlights but it will be even worse now. The entire universe will be watching your every step from now on. Just make sure you don't trip."_

" _I know." Gohan took a deep breath. "I know." Comora shrugged before he left the youngsters._

 _Tobney slung an arm around Gohan's shoulders. "Don't let him get to you." He stated. "We're in this together, remember?"_

 _Gohan smiled in return. "Yes, we are. We're in this together."_

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 _"Why are we doing this again?" Gohan studied his reflection. He was wearing a velvet blue uniform with black_ _armour_ _. The uniform was decorated with several badges and medals of_ _honour_ _. He wasn't entirely sure if he was proud of these signs of_ _honour_ _._

 _"Publicity is part of the job." Tobney responded. "It is a tedious, horrifying part of the job."_

 _"Ah, don't complain so much." Suno smiled as he looked the two youngsters up and down. The rest of the warriors were all getting ready as well. Itoro was just wrestling his body into a blue uniform. Kaon clicked the band of his_ _armour_ _to the body of it. "You two have the perfect look for these charades."_

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 _Once they were done, Gohan smiled to Sianna. The female warrior got up as she studied her reflection. The hairdresser made two braids on the sides of Sianna's head and pulled them back so they met each other on the back of Sianna's head. It was strange how much the hairdresser could do with so little hair. Sianna still kept her hair short now._

 _Gohan held out his hands so that she could grab them. "You look amazing." He stated._

" _You too." Sianna looked him up and down. "I have to admit that Vegeta is right when he says that you look perfect for publicity. You clean up well."_

 _Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I think that's the first time that you actually agree with Vegeta."_

" _Yes, and the last time. I feel horrifying." A smile appeared on Sianna's face. "You need to knock me in the head now."_

 _Gohan opened his mouth to respond but Comora came walking in the room. "Everyone ready?" He called. Heads turned in his direction and Comora nodded. "Alright. Kaon, Suno, Itoro, come with me. Gohan, Tobney, Kanda and Sianna. You need to get to the main entrance. You'll enter at my sign. Okay?"_

 _Everyone nodded and agreed. Gohan gently squeezed in Sianna's hand as they walked to the room from which they would enter the ballroom. "Get ready," the half-saiyan stated, "for the perfect charade."_

 **Are you ready?**

 **Chapter 5. Facing Reality.**

"Hey Tobney! Or should I say Lord Tobney now?" Caria smiled as she surveyed her ex-boyfriend. The young woman was still very much the same as when he'd seen her last, three years ago.

It was only a few hours into the party and somehow Tobney managed to lose his best friend. Honestly, what were friends even for if they couldn't protect you from your exes?

"Caria!" Tobney grinned as he took her hand and pressed a kiss in the air just above her knuckles. "It's good to see you." He stated.

"It's very good to see you too." Caria's dress shimmered slightly as she moved, which made Tobney wonder whether it was the fabric or the many tiny glitters on the dress. "What is it like to rule the army now?"

"Busy. Very busy." Tobney returned. "It's good to see a friendly face amongst all these diplomats."

Caria seemed to approve of this comment and she stepped closer to him. "I'm always friendly. Especially to you. Do you remember that time we snuck into the closet in the auditorium and we well…" She winked. "It's one of my favorite memories to think about when I'm feeling lonely."

Tobney couldn't help but smile. "Same here." His eyes searched for his wife for a moment and he located her near Sianna. The two women were talking to several other prettily dressed women. Tobney's eyes moved back to Ciara when the woman stepped closer to him and he smiled nervously.

Sianna gave Kanda a glass of lemonade. "How can you stand not drinking at all?" She asked.

Kanda accepted the glass and she shrugged. "I can't stand it. I just have to live with it, I guess."

"Yeah." Sianna smiled in return. "That sucks."

"That it does." The two women toasted their drinks before they were interrupted by another guest.

"Kanda! Oh, you look amazing. How far along are you?"

"A little more than a month." Kanda responded as she gently touched her stomach. She knew that her bump was not visible yet in this dress but everyone knew she was pregnant. It was universal news.

"Congratulations." The woman's bright eyes moved to Sianna. "And I hear congratulations are in order for you too. Bagging the strongest warrior in the universe."

Sianna pressed her lips together. Johjan was talking about the article that was published just yesterday in the Universal New Flash. The article was all about Sianna and her rise from the position of a slave to that of an elite soldier. The article implied that she slept her way up. She befriended Gohan when he was still Vegeta's apprentice and she encouraged him to train and eventually challenge Vegeta for the company. All this so that she could rule the army together with Gohan.

The article drew many laughs from her male comrades. Sianna was furious that the Universal Press would write this horrible story about her. She remembered how Gohan wrapped an arm around her and showed one of his ridiculously cute smiles. Don´t worry about it. He said. We know the truth and that´s more important.

Sianna knew that wasn´t the end of it. She realized now that it would probably take her years to battle these vicious rumors. And her most dangerous opponents would be other women. She felt like this would be one of those battles. But she was ready. She was born ready.

Meanwhile, Tobney was talking to Caria when another young woman joined their conversation. "Hey Tobney. Nice seeing you here."

"Taino." Tobney greeted. Her blue eyes studied him curiously. "Wow, I haven't seen you in years! You look good." He returned her hug.

"I could say the same about you." Taino's blue hair fell over her shoulder as she pulled away from his embrace.

"Hey," Caria mingled, "we were talking here."

Taino glanced in Caria's direction, managing to send the woman a denigrating glance in just a split second, before she looked back to Tobney. "Why don't we find ourselves a more private place to talk, huh? For old time's sake?"

"Why don't you find yourself a more private place to be?" Caria interrupted. "Tobney's busy."

Tobney opened his mouth to say something but a hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to find yet another ex. She smiled as she looked up at him and Tobney could only take a deep breath. Something was about to go very wrong here.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Kanda crossed her arms over each other. "You shouldn't believe everything you read, Jo." She responded.

"The New Flash is credible." Johjan returned. "Besides, I think it's admirable. It presents you as a strong woman who knows what she wants and takes it for herself."

"Hmmm, you're just jealous, Johjan." Another guest entered the conversation. Her blue eyes focused on Sianna now. "You just don't understand that women of very low positions have to work that much harder to get to a better place."

Sianna met the woman´s blue eyes. She recognized the woman from the pictures Kanda showed her. It was one of Kanda´s friends. What was her name? Bana? Whatever her name was, she eyed Sianna with disdain. Sianna could feel her stomach turn at the slight about her past as a slave. Her hands clenched into fists but she kept herself from punching Bana's eyes extra blue. Kanda wrapped an arm around Sianna's shoulders. "That's not true either. Sianna and I have been best friends for ages. The love between Sianna and Gohan was pure straight from the beginning. They were one of the last to find out that they actually loved each other. The rest of us knew from the beginning."

"Love, huh?" Johjan gazed sideways to the half-saiyan. Gohan was standing near the rest of the Suta Team. "Yeah, I understand how you could love someone like that. Look at him. And they say he's very sweet too. Such a catch."

"He's taken, Jo." Kanda sipped from her lemonade.

"Men are only taken until they are distracted." Johjan eyes moved from Gohan to Sianna. She smiled condescendingly. "Especially when distracted by a beautiful woman with a much better rank than his current obsession."

Sianna scoffed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. Gohan is loyal to me."

Johjan laughed in response. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

"I think the games are on." Bana grinned as she eyed Sianna. "Will the cute soldier go for the lady-in-waiting or the second-hand trash?"

"Hey!" Kanda snarled. "Play nicely, Bana." She added as she frowned to her friend.

Bana shrugged as she lifted her glass. "I'm sorry. I can't help scrunching up my nose and wanting to cleanse myself when I'm forced to be near trash."

Sianna figured she'd been insulted enough and she excused herself. As Sianna walked away, her friend frowned to the two women. "How could you be so mean to her?" Kanda complained. The two women shrugged innocently but their smiles showed that they were quite pleased with themselves.

While this occurred, Gohan was standing near the rest of the Suta Team. "What is going on?" Gohan noticed the commotion around Tobney. They were halfway into the party. After an elaborated introduction and a banquet, the dance was now really getting started. The dancefloor had been quite crowded for a while now but somehow women seemed to gather around Tobney. The young warrior talked to most of them casually and the air seemed civil. However, small arguments started to break out between the women and now the atmosphere changed somewhat. Tobney tried to break the arguments up but they didn't seem to pay too much attention to him.

"Well…" Comora stated, smiling, "you know that Tobney joined the army when he was about fifteen, right? And he joined our team at sixteen?" He glanced to Gohan and continued when the half-saiyan nodded that he understood. "As you may have noticed yourself, we don't really do affection." The man ignored Gohan's chuckle and continued: "So he decided to search for affection elsewhere."

"And he found this affection in the arms girls." Suno added. "Lots of girls."

"It's to be expected. I mean, look at him." Itoro gestured to the young warrior. "Combine those blue eyes with the softy attitude and a need for attention and women swoon all over the place."

Gohan smiled in response. He knew about this. He'd seen many of Tobney's girlfriends come and go over the years that they worked together. "So what's the problem?"

"Tobney's status." Comora responded. "Now that he has become the leader of one of the most successful companies in the entire universe, many of his ex-girlfriends are suddenly interested in him again."

"Ah," Gohan watched the group of women swarm around his best friend. "I see." The youngster crossed his arms over each other. "And you didn't think of helping him out?"

"I'm enjoying the show." Suno gestured to the commotion. Itoro and Kaon agreed cheerfully.

Gohan shook his head but he decided to stay out of the line of fire. The half-saiyan glanced sideways when Sianna appeared at his side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed an aggressive kiss on his lips. Gohan raised both his eyebrows but he went along with the kiss. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The half-saiyan smirked once they pulled away. "I like it when you're being territorial." He stated.

Sianna shook her head. "I'm not being territorial."

"Oh really?" Gohan grinned as his gaze moved to the group of girls that Sianna came from just now. "Cause that felt like a claim of ownership." The girls were whispered to each other. Gohan had too much experience with women to believe that Sianna just came from a civil conversation. He was often surprised by the poisonous manner in which women could handle each other. Sianna had to hold her own against some powerful women now that she and Gohan were officially a couple. He was often glad that he was the man in the relationship. He would rather face ten Vegeta's than just one of those high-ranking women, or Sianna for that matter.

Sianna smiled in return. "All kisses are a sign of ownership, aren't they?" She sounded sweet. So sweet that Gohan knew that he had to back off. "Besides, we are in relationship. You are mine and I am yours."

"Let's continue that conversation tonight, shall we? For now, should I turn sideways a little so that your besties can see the kiss better, huh?" Gohan suggested.

Sianna grinned in response. "That's why I love you." She responded. "Oh, and we will definitely continue this battle of ownership tonight." She leaned in to kiss him again. Gohan couldn't help but grin in return before he pressed a kiss on her lips.

The rest of the group was ignoring the two lovebirds. Suno raised both his eyebrows when he realized that Tobney was walking away from the women. "He's running."

"Oh no, he isn't." Itoro was enjoying this show too much to allow it to stop. "Let's go."

Tobney was silently sneaking away from the crowd until suddenly several hands grabbed hold of him and pulled him sideways. "Wha-?" Tobney gasped when Suno and Itoro pulled him to stand in the middle of the trio. "Guys, let me go."

"Why?" Suno made an innocent face. "What's going on, lord Tobney? You seem jumpy."

Tobney glared at them. "You know damn well what's going on."

Itoro pretended to be just as surprised. "I think you're wanted over there. Why don't you go say hi?" His light-blue hands easily pushed the youngster towards the women.

"Stop! Let me go!" Tobney complained as they forced him in the direction of the group. "Guys. Let go! That's an order!" He said this last sentence in a raised voice. Gohan and Sianna were distracted from their conversation and they glanced sideways.

Itoro and Suno released the youngster. "I'm sorry, sir. We forgot that you lost your sense of humor these days." Suno said testily.

Tobney sent him an icy glance. "No, I just lost your sense of humor." He snarled in response. "Now leave me the fuck alone." The young warrior walked away from his comrades after this. Suno and Itoro exchanged glances.

Comora took a breath as he placed a turquoise hand on his forehead. "This is going to be more difficult than I thought."

"I don't see the problem here." Gohan said. Comora lowered his arms and glanced to the younger warrior. "You guys need to learn that Tobney is not your plaything anymore." He gave a strict glance to the rest of the warriors. The members of the Suta Team seemed to disagree but they didn't say anything. "He's your superior now. And you would have never treated Vegeta like that. You all know it."

"You can't expect us to change just like that, sir." Suno's blue eyes met Gohan's dark brown gaze. "These things take time."

"I know. But you cannot expect us to be lenient either. You can make mistakes as long as you guys are prepared to face the consequences." Gohan's arm was loosely hanging around Sianna's shoulders as he spoke. She glanced from her boyfriend to her comrades and back. "Face it, guys. You can't push us around anymore." The half-saiyan couldn't help but smirk as he tilted his head. "Actually, I think it's time we started to return the favor. That must suck big time." His smirk grew into a grin. "That you're ruled by two kids half your age. How the mighty have fallen."

Sianna noticed the glares Gohan received after this. The half-saiyan didn't seem affected by it at all as he moved his hand up and waved them away. "Now, disappear." The warriors showed frowns as they all followed Gohan's orders and walked away. Even Comora decided to leave.

Sianna looked up at her boyfriend and she noticed the tiny lights in his eyes. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" She asked. A grin was present on her face.

Gohan couldn't help but return the sentiment. "I did, very much so." He responded. "Now," his hands moved to her hips and he gently guided her closer to him, "where were we?" He asked before he leaned in to press a kiss on her lips. Sianna returned the favor, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

They realized that they could make even this obligated party much more fun as long as they made their own rules. And as they were the leaders of the greatest company in the universe, who was going to stop them from doing just that?

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

The following months were busy and difficult. They made Gohan realize just how tough leading a large company could be. He spent hours and hours in meetings with either Tobney, Comora, both of them or other high-ranking officers. His days were long but he always tried to incorporate a couple of hours of training in each day. This was mainly because Vegeta was always present to point out that he was slacking off. Vegeta was wearing ki-bonds now but once they would arrive on planet Earth, the man would be released from the ki-bonds, and Gohan still had to survive with Vegeta on the same planet. Gohan took his taunting to heart because he knew Vegeta was right. Gohan would always have to compete with his former master. He would always have to keep up his training to make sure Vegeta wouldn't get the upper hand again.

One day, Sianna was preparing dinner in Gohan's quarters. She knew Gohan was finishing up a very long meeting and she wanted to surprise him. He'd done the same for her not too long ago and she still remembered how much she appreciated the gesture. She wanted to make sure Gohan could experience the same pleasure.

"Look at you," Vegeta's voice made Sianna shiver only for a moment. She still hated him, "being all womanly."

Sianna allowed the food to be for a moment while she turned to face Vegeta. The man tended to hang out in Gohan's quarters. The half-saiyan didn't mind as long as Vegeta didn't bother him. "Please don't ruin it for me. I'm doing something nice for Gohan." She watched him approach the kitchen island while she spoke.

"Forcing him to eat the food you prepared is not necessarily a nice thing to do." Vegeta sat down at the kitchen island and sent Sianna a cold smile.

Sianna scoffed in response. "I would be offended if only you'd ever eaten something I prepared."

Vegeta shrugged. "I never really dared, did I?"

"I would have poisoned it."

"Exactly." Vegeta studied the young woman while Sianna turned to look at the food. She briefly pushed the meat around so that it wouldn't get burned before she took a look at the vegetables. Everything had to be perfect. "How's your little combat school?"

"Flourishing."

"I admire your little project." Vegeta studied the young woman as she worked on the food.

"Thanks. It seems to be coming together pretty well." Sianna turned back and noticed that Vegeta was filling two cups with coffee, using the thermotank. He pushed one cup towards the young soldier. She raised an eyebrow but she accepted the kind gesture and grabbed the coffee. The two sipped from their drink in silence.

Vegeta lowered his cup. "Yes. It's doing pretty well. I have to say it would be sad to see the project lead by someone else once you, Gohan and I leave for planet earth." He held Sianna's gaze as he said this. The man noticed the manner in which Sianna lowered her gaze after these words. "Ah? Do I detect doubts? Troubles in paradise?"

Sianna's gaze moved up to Vegeta again. "None of your business." She responded. "I don't have time for this." She turned away from him, leaving her unfinished cup of coffee on the table.

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events. The plot thickens." Vegeta sounded amused as he spoke. "Is your love strong enough to withstand this choice? Which one of you will give up their dream for the other one? Ah, I cannot endure the suspense."

Sianna didn't respond. She didn't even look back to him. Not even when she heard the chuckle from Vegeta before she heard the sounds of Vegeta scraping back his chair. The man moved further into the living room, away from her, and fell down on the couch. There, he grabbed Gohan's projector and turned on a projection of the News Flash. Sianna looked at him over his shoulder but he didn't look back to meet her eyes. She looked back to her food and made sure not to release the sigh she really wanted to release. She was not going to give Vegeta the satisfaction.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

There it was. Gohan announced it. They would be leaving the army as soon as possible. He didn't do it without consulting her first. Right from the start, Gohan assumed Sianna wanted to come to planet Earth with him. And she did, in the beginning. Now she wasn't so sure anymore. Her project was coming together so nicely. Many high-positioned women were interested in her self-defence classes and they were willing to pay good money for her lessons. She enjoyed teaching other people and she was happy to make sure others could defend themselves if needed. Was she supposed to let all that go?

It was only a week after her self-made dinner with Gohan. It was exactly that evening that Gohan discussed going back to planet Earth with her. He asked for her opinion. Was she ready to leave? He definitely was. She didn't want to ruin their date so she only smiled and told him that she would be happy as long as they were together.

But would she really be happy on planet Earth?

Sianna blew out a sigh. The bright light in the room was getting on her nerves and not for the first time she wished she could dim these lights. But it wasn't possible in the general rooms such as the control room. Sianna glanced sideways when Tobney appeared next to her. The male warrior smiled as he leaned on the panel with his hands.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?"

Tobney shrugged. "You were quite silent during dinner today. Not at all like you." He stated as explanation for why he was checking up on her.

"There's nothing going on. I'm just tired." Sianna responded.

"You seem to forget that I am quite proficient at mind reading. Therefore I can quite easily detect the problems that are floating around in your mind." Tobney said this while smiling in a very disarming way which made it impossible for Sianna to be annoyed at the fact that he apparently read her mind.

Sianna took a breath before she let it out in a deep sigh. "Gohan wants nothing more than to go to planet earth. He's been fighting this battle in order to free himself from this army and go back to his planet and be a normal human." She fell silent.

The miserable look on Sianna's face made Tobney curious and the warrior decided to encourage Sianna to continue talking: "So?"

Sianna turned to Tobney fully. "I don't know if that's what I want." She stated. "I've always wanted to be a soldier. I can't think of anything else I would want to do. I want to be a part of the army. I don't want to leave it." Sianna's face became even more miserable. "I don't want to go to planet earth. I don't want to stay there."

"But Gohan does."

"I know. And that's what sucks. I can't ask him to stay here with me. And he won't ask me to give up my dreams for him." Sianna's eyes misted over as her body went cold. "We can't stay together if we both have such different dreams."

"You could try out for the human army." Tobney suggested. He crossed his arms over each other as he studied the young woman in front of him.

Sianna slowly shook her head. "No. That will never challenge me the way you guys do. I want to be here. I want to be a part of your team." Tears leaked down her cheeks as she considered what she just said. "Do you think Gohan will hate me?"

Tobney's tough guy approach broke and he stepped closer so he could hug the female warrior. Sianna accepted the hug and she silently cried into his chest. Tobney rested his chin on the top of her head. "I don't think Gohan is capable of hating anyone…. But you're going to have to tell him, Sianna."

"I know." Sianna whispered. "I will."

"Let's do it right now." Tobney stated before looking down to meet her eyes.

Sianna's orbs were wide. "What? No, I don't think I am ready."

"You'll never be ready for this." Tobney countered easily. "Let's get this over with right now."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"There you are." The bartender was tall and demanding. His dark eyes were angry as they turned to the youngster that was passed out; leaning on the counter, fast asleep. "Bad example, that is."

"I apologize." Comora's red gaze focused on the bartender. "We'll take care of it. I expect you won't tell anyone about this." Comora's hand moved up to his scouter and he pressed a few buttons until a number appeared on his scouter-screen so that the barman could see it. The man studied the number of credits and he nodded.

"I'll say nothing. I can't speak for the men who were present in this bar tonight though." The man responded.

"Fair enough." Comora pressed another button and the credits were transferred to the man's account instantly. The bartender moved up his hand to press the button on his scouter and he checked if all the money was there before he said goodbye to Comora and turned to finish cleaning the counter.

Tobney gently poked the half-saiyan. "Wake up, Gohan." He stated as he moved his hands over to Gohan's shoulder in order to shake him awake. The half-saiyan hardly registered this but his faced scrunched up a little and so Tobney was encouraged to try to wake him up again.

"Is this even legal?" Suno asked once Comora was close enough to respond.

"We lowered the alcohol permission to sixteen a couple years ago." Comora stated. "We figured that if the kids were old enough to join the army, they may as well be considered old enough to drink the experience away too."

"Still, I think it's the first time that Rookie is drunk, isn't it?" Itoro asked curiously. The warriors watched as Tobney tried to get Gohan to stand up.

"It's the first time he's making such a spectacle of himself, yes." Comora agreed.

Gohan frowned and he pushed Tobney away. "Leave me alone." He slurred as he made a wild movement with his arm. Tobney caught Gohan's arm and he used this as leverage to pull Gohan off his seat. The half-saiyan widened his eyes and nearly fell to the ground if it wasn't for Tobney holding him up.

"Don't make me throw you over my shoulder." Tobney warned. He pulled Gohan's arm over both his shoulders and helped the half-saiyan stand up fully. "Come on, kiddo."

"I don't want to go. I'm thirsty. Give me something to drink." Gohan looked over his shoulder to the bar. He tried to pull his arm free from Tobney's grip and he tried to turn around but his efforts were easily stopped by his best friend.

"I think you've had quite enough." Tobney responded.

"I think you're not thinking right." Gohan stated this but then considered his own answer. "I mean, you're not wrong thinking…. Thinking wrong?" He let out a sigh as a thoughtful frown appeared on his face. "Thinking…."

Tobney was using Gohan's confusion to his benefit as he took a couple of steps, taking the youngster with him. It wasn't long before they were out of the bar. The half-saiyan was complaining loudly every step of the way. The rest of the warriors were following, quietly.

Tobney helped Gohan to his bed. "I don't want to go to bed." The youngster complained. "Honestly, Tobney. Why are you being such a downer?"

Tobney didn't listen but instead knelt down to take off Gohan's boots. The half-saiyan pulled his leg back and out of Tobney's hands. The man looked up to the half-saiyan. "Do you want to get into your bed with your boots on?" he asked.

"I don't want to get into bed." Gohan got off the bed and headed for the doorway. "I'm going to get a drink." He huffed before he walked to the living room. Tobney took a breath as he stood up as well.

The rest of the team was still gathered in the common room. The warriors all looked up when they noticed the half-saiyan. Gohan placed his hands on his hips. "Why are you all here?" He slurred. "Get out of my room!" He made a wild point to the doorway. Tobney had appeared in the entrance to his bedroom and he was now leaning against the doorpost, studying Gohan with disapproval.

Suno couldn't help but smile. "Why would we leave when all the entertainment we need is right here?" He asked innocently.

Gohan narrowed his eyes. "I order you to leave, right now."

Comora tilted his head sideways. "You're not thinking straight, sir. Please, let's go back to your room."

Gohan disregarded this comment and moved back to the kitchen area. Suno approached Tobney. "Why is he like this?"

Tobney hesitated for only a moment before he looked to Suno. "Sianna and Gohan broke up today."

"Why?"

"Gohan wants to go to planet Earth. And Sianna doesn't want to."

"Ah," Suno's gaze went back to Gohan, "poor thing... Alright!" His voice went louder as he looked to his comrades. "This is all because of a broken heart! We'll drink with you!" Itoro and Kaon showed a surprised expression at first but they seemed to understand after that and they moved to the kitchen to join Gohan.

While his comrades raided the kitchen, Suno turned back to Tobney. "Let's make a party out of it. We'll get drunk and order women and make sure Gohan forgets his trouble."

Tobney raised an eyebrow as he crossed his pale arms over each other. "You want to order prostitutes?"

"We'll order the very best ones." Suno agreed. "Come on, join us!" He went to turn around but Tobney stopped him.

"I'm married." Tobney stated, shaking his head. Then he looked Suno in his blue eyes strictly. "And so are you."

Suno faltered for a moment. The man's blue eyes met Tobney's equally blue pupils and he blew out a sigh. "Well," He turned and spoke loudly to the rest of his comrades, "at least our moral compass is still active."

The rest of the group chuckled as they all understood the little private joke. Tobney scoffed disapprovingly. When he just joined the Suta Team, years ago, he used to be appalled at all the bad things his comrades did. The sixteen-year-old Tobney always showed his disapproval when his comrades cheated on their wives or used unnecessary violence on victims or slaves. After a couple of these instances, the adult members of the Suta Team started calling Tobney their moral compass in order to shut the youngster up.

As he got older, Tobney stopped interfering with his comrades' actions but once in a while he slipped up and his comrades would again refer to their old joke.

"Well that's a relief." Kaon added cheerfully. Itoro just finished filling his own glass and he grabbed a second one. "Considering all these annoying developments lately, it is good to see that some things haven't changed."

"Well then." Itoro grabbed both glasses and headed for Tobney. "Let's see if we can tempt our moral compass over to the dark side by liquoring it up a little bit." He held the glass up in front of Tobney. "Master and Commander." He said as he nodded respectfully.

Tobney was somewhat amazed at how his older comrade could tease him in such a respectful manner. He smiled and accepted the glass. Itoro grinned and made a toast with Tobney as the rest of the group cheered. Comora and Tobney joined the others near the half-saiyan and they all toasted their glasses once more.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

An alarm went off loudly. The unforgiving sound blasted through the room. Several groans were heard from all sides of the quarters.

"Somebody shut that thing off!"

Gohan could feel his head pound sharply with every beep that his alarm sounded. The youngster reached out and felt for his alarm with his eyes still closed. The half-saiyan moaned pathetically when he could find anything. He had to open his eyes. But he didn't want to. He hated opening his eyes. He wanted to keep them like this. Keep out the light.

It took every inch of his willpower to open his eyes just a tiny bit. Through the tiny cracks between his eyelids he searched for the evil thing that was his clock. The half-saiyan realized that his scouter was making the noise and he rolled closer to the bedside table to shut it off. However, a bump was in his way. The half-saiyan let out an annoyed sound.

"What the hell?" Tobney lifted his head and he frowned to his best friend. "What is that noise?" He complained as he placed a hand on his forehead.

Gohan sat up now. "Why are you in my bed?" He moved his foot and nearly kicked off someone else. Gohan lowered his gaze and realized Solarus was lying near the foot-end of his bed. She moaned a complaint before she yawned and continued sleeping.

The beeping was now a sharp pain in Gohan's head every time it sounded. The half-saiyan reached over and turned the scouter off. He shifted until he could lean against the head of the bed and he silently overviewed his room. Tobney was lying half off the bed. His legs were dangling off the bed and his head had fallen back in his sleep, also off the bed. He was lying across the bed. Solarus was curled up on the foot end of the bed. One of her hands was lying in an angle with her palm turned upwards. Gohan noticed how close her hand was to his best friend and he briefly wondered if Tobney and Solarus fell asleep while holding hands.

As he wondered this, his best friend was also pushing his body up. Tobney looked around for a moment. "What happened?"

Gohan was wondering the same thing. He blew out a sigh. His throat felt dry and somewhat dirty. A light nausea was crawling up his stomach and he briefly wondered if he was going to throw up. The headache only worsened as he tried to remember what he'd done last night. How they ended up in this bed like this.

The half-saiyan briefly checked if everyone was wearing their clothes and he let out a sigh of relief when he realized that they were all fully dressed. So, he assumed they just retreated to his room to talk and drink with just the three of them. It would have been just like all the others nights they spent in this room together. Back when Gohan was still a soldier, he often spent entire nights with his two roommates, just talking about life and sometimes drinking their memories away. He assumed last night was just the same.

"I have no idea." Gohan responded. "I just remember going to the bar to get a drink."

Tobney tilted his head sideways and he suddenly realized that Gohan was right. "Yes! I remember that." He also remembered finding Gohan in the bar, bringing him back to the quarters and starting the party. After that Solarus came back from work and she joined the party. That's when his memory started to get fuzzy.

The two friends stared at each other for a moment. Silent. Not really knowing what to say or do. Gohan took a breath. "Part of me is expecting Vegeta to barge in here and yell at me for being late." He stated.

Tobney chuckled. "Same here. I can just hear Comora complaining that I'm such a bad influence on you." He blew out a sigh before he sat up and crawled off the bed. "I need coffee."

"Yes!" Gohan followed his friend. The two warriors stopped in the entrance to the common room when they realized they were not the only hungover ones. Suno was lying on the kitchen island, snoring loudly. Comora was curled up on a chair and Kaon was lying on the couch. The door to Tobney's room was open and Gohan realized Itoro was spread out on the bed there. Several open bottles of alcohol were spread out over the room. The room smelled musty and Gohan longed to open up a window to let in fresh air. This was not possible as they were still on the ship and the windows could not open.

"I guess I'll make a really big pot of coffee." Tobney stated before he headed to the kitchen island.

Gohan nodded slowly. If only he could remember what happened yesterday. The youngster had no trouble remembering his schedule for today though. He knew he would have a meeting several business associates in a couple of hours. And he had a meeting with Tobney and Comora after. And he had a training session with Suno…

The pain in his head pounded as if his brains were trying to push their way out of his skull. He blew out a sigh. First he would have some coffee with his very best friend. All his worries would still be there after he finished his coffee. They would definitely still be there.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6: Living with the Consequences

**Chapter 6.**

 **Kanda's Planet.**

Gohan looked out the window. The planet hadn't changed at all since he visited it for Tobney's wedding. Gohan leaned on the window sill with his hands and lowered his gaze.

Sianna was sitting on a table on the other side of the room. The young woman's hair had now grown to a comfortable bob, running along the contours of her jaw, and she didn't mind keeping it this way.

Gohan and Sianna had hardly spoken since Sianna told Gohan that she didn't want to come to planet earth with him. That she didn't love him enough to give up her dreams for him. Gohan shook his head to keep these toxic thoughts out of his head. It was the exact same the other way around. Gohan wanted nothing more than to go to planet earth. He didn't love Sianna enough to stay on the ship either. Their relationship was doomed to fail right from the beginning. Though they were fighting the same fight, they had different goals.

Gohan could feel a shiver run through his body as a strange shape of coldness formed in his chest. The sensation ran down his body. The young warrior closed his eyes, willing the sensation away. The coldness disappeared but it left a strange sensation in Gohan's body. Gohan could still remember that it was just there and he feared the next time this sensation would attack him.

A hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him away from the window. Gohan opened his eyes and looked into Comora's bright red orbs. The older warrior showed a smirk as his eyes ran up and down the half-saiyan's body. "I must say I feel nostalgic, sir." He stated, breaking the silence in the room. "Seeing you like this makes me feel like ordering you around."

Gohan realized what Comora was getting at and he rolled his eyes. Now that the slaves were no longer forced to work, there was nobody to do the laundry of the soldiers. They had to wash their own uniforms now. Gohan was not used to this just yet and he neglected washing his own set of uniforms until he had none left. Now he was wearing an old Suta Team uniform. The Suta Team didn't exist any longer and they had no use for the uniforms but they didn't destroy the uniforms yet either.

"Well, don't get used to it." Gohan responded, happy to be distracted from his pain. "You will never get to order me to do anything ever again."

"Well, one can hope." Comora returned good-naturedly. The man stepped closer to the half-saiyan. "Are you okay?"

Gohan shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Nah, a broken heart never killed anyone." Suno called over. Sianna lowered her gaze. "It's a rite of passage to be honest."

"Exactly." Itoro agreed heartily. "You're a real man now."

"Besides," Kaon's brown hands reached over to Sianna, grabbed her into a headlock and started ruffling her hair roughly, "we're only glad you leave someone for us to torture."

"Let me go, you big buffoon!" Sianna snarled. The young woman realized struggling wouldn't do her any good so she stepped on his toes. Kaon released her and Sianna stumbled back.

Gohan was the only person who didn't laugh while this happened. Itoro nodded in agreement before he spoke. "I agree!" He stated. "Now that Tobney is our leader and Gohan is going to leave us, we'll have nobody to mess with."

Sianna backed up against the wall. She tended to keep her distance from the rest of the group as this was not the first time something like this happened. The men tended to single her out these days. It started right after she agreed to join the still unnamed team. Now Sianna realized the stories Gohan and Tobney always complained about were true. They warned her. They told her to find a different team to join. Tobney even offered to create a team for her. A team she could lead. But no, she refused that offer. She wanted to fight with the strongest warriors in the universe… And live with them… Every day… She regretted the decision every time one of them did something like this.

Tobney appeared in the room. The young warrior was grinning from ear to ear. "Come on, guys. You can come in now." He stated.

Kanda looked like she'd had better days. Sweat was still dripping down her forehead. Her lavender hair was ruffled and sticking to her face and neck. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her light blue skin looked somewhat thinner. An aura of exhaustion surrounded her and her power level was all the way down. However, the smile on her face and the look in her brown eyes showed her real feelings.

Tobney led them to the bed. Two tiny babies were lying in Kanda's arms. A thin layer of lavender hair covered their heads. They had entirely brown eyes and irises but blue pupils. Their skin was a very pale blue colour.

Tobney picked one of them up. "I thought Kanda was the most beautiful woman in the universe but these two will probably beat her to the spot." He said as he walked closer to the others. "Look at them."

"Girls?" Gohan questioned, just to be sure. Tobney nodded once before he looked down to his child again. "They're beautiful, Tobney."

"These are people." Tobney stated. "They are living beings. I made them. I can't believe it."

"And I helped." Kanda stated from the bed. She grinned. "Just a little."

Tobney turned back to his lover and he walked back to the bed. "Yes, just a little." He agreed.

"Yes," Kanda smiled when Tobney sat down next to her. "I listened to your annoying late night calls as you complained about backaches and nausea. I comforted you whenever you were afraid you were going to be a horrible father. I came here to help you through the last horrible week of the pregnancy and you nearly broke my wrists during labour but I never said a word of complaint. I only cared about your comfort and well-being."

Tobney returned her gaze. His expression softened as he listened to her listing the things he had done for her and realized that this was her way of showing her appreciation. "You really have done a lot. Honestly, you might as well call these babies all yours because I haven't done a thing…"

The two smiled at each other before they leaned closer for a kiss. Gohan watched the scene with some surprise. He knew that Kanda and Tobney had been contacting each other often but he didn't realize what had grown between the couple. He never expected that Kanda and Tobney could actually grow to love each other like they did now.

Gohan approached the bed curiously. The young warrior studied the babies. The living beings that looked so much like his best friend. He instantly realized that he felt connected to them in a strange way. He realized that he would give his life to protect these little aliens even if he just met them. The rest of the group approached as well. They were all curious to see the little babies. The two tiny beings didn't seem intimidated by these massive warriors at all. Their eyes just studied everyone curiously.

Gohan's mind briefly wondered if he would ever be in this position. Would he ever get to hold his own child? A person created from his union with a loved one? His eyes briefly flickered to Sianna. The young woman was sitting next to Kanda and she was now holding one of the babies. Gohan's traitorous mind easily went there. The brief picture of Sianna lying in the bed flashed through his mind. Her eyes misting over as she gave the recently born baby to Gohan. Their child.

Tobney silently studied his best friend. He pressed his lips together when Gohan's eyes moved to Sianna. Gohan wasn't even trying to shield his thoughts. Tobney could easily read the pictures in Gohan's mind. Tobney smiled as he got up and moved closer to Gohan.

"Alright, baby." Tobney stated, gaining Gohan's attention. "What do you say you get a feel of the arms of the strongest warrior in the universe?"

Gohan met Tobney's eyes. "Are you sure?" He tilted his head sideways. He was somewhat hesitant. "I might drop her."

Tobney chuckled. "Holding a baby is not that difficult. Even you should be able to do it." He teased before he held out the baby for Gohan.

Gohan took a moment to send Tobney an annoyed glance. This only sparked a smile on Tobney's face and the young warrior nodded to the baby in his arms. Gohan took a breath as his gaze lowered to the child. He hesitantly took her from Tobney's arms. Gohan made sure to support her head as he held her. The irony was not lost on Sianna. The female decided to give the other baby back to Kanda as her heart was starting to ache by the sight of Gohan holding the other child.

"Besides," Tobney gently caressed the baby's head, "I want my children to get to know their godfather."

Gohan gave Tobney a surprised look. "Tobney. I'm going to planet earth eventually." He stated. "I'm leaving."

"I know." Tobney looked to the half-saiyan now. "But Kanda and I both agree. If anything happens to us, we want our children to live with you on planet earth." He shrugged. "It would ease my mind to know they have somewhere to go."

Gohan was studying the baby as Tobney spoke. A smile appeared on his face. "Of course I will take care of them. I can't say no to that." He stated before he looked up at Tobney.

"That's good to know. I knew I could count on you." Tobney said, nodding.

"Don't forget that." Gohan responded. His gaze was stern as he looked at Tobney. "I know I'm leaving. But don't forget; you can always count on me. If there is anything you need, just come over. I will be there for you."

Tobney realized this was something Gohan had been struggling to tell him for a while now. Tobney smiled and nodded. "I know, Gohan." He said as he placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I know."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"They're perfect."

Gohan couldn't keep his eyes off the two tiny little life forms. The two babies were now fast asleep in their little beds. Gohan's brown eyes studied the two aliens eagerly. He would have to base his memories of his two godchildren on these couple of days he was spending with them.

It was only a couple of days ago that they were born. Tobney spent most of the days hanging around the babies, helping out with feeding them – as much as he could since Kanda was the one actually supplying the nutrition and Tobney could only assist her – changing their diapers and entertaining them throughout the day. Gohan had been doing the exact same thing – helping as much as he could while trying not to get in the way of the people who knew what they were doing, such as the nannies.

Kanda left to get some air. She told them to be quiet and not wake the kids. The two youngsters were somewhat indignant about this. As if they couldn't be quiet.

"Well, they're my kids." Tobney responded, grinning at him.

Gohan chuckled. "I know, right. Despite the fact that they've got your genes, they still are perfect. It's a miracle!" He raised his hands in the air and then realized he had to be quiet and he quickly lowered his arms. "Oops…" He whispered. Luckily, the babies stayed fast asleep.

Tobney's smile slowly faltered as he studied the babies. "They're so small. They have no idea what they're getting themselves into."

"Whatever happens. They'll have a great father to turn to whenever life gets tough." Gohan said in response. He knew his best friend was worried about being a good father. Then again, that was probably something every new parent worried about.

Tobney glanced to him. "I hope so." He muttered as his gaze returned to the children. "No, I will die trying to make that happen." He returned the smile he received from his best friend. "I'm going to be honest in saying that part of me wishes that you will stay with me to make sure I live up to that promise." Comora told him not to address these feelings as they didn't want to guilt trip Gohan into staying with them. Part of Tobney preferred to do exactly that. The small selfish part of him that didn't care for Gohan's desires and only wanted to keep his best friend close to him. A life without Gohan seemed so meaningless.

Tobney forced himself to listen to that other part of his mind. That part of him that cared deeply for Gohan and wanted his best friend to be happy. The part of his brain that knew Gohan would never be happy in the army, not as happy as he would be on planet earth.

When Gohan didn't respond, his best friend decided to continue: "I know I already asked you to stay and that you gave me all the time you could give. I just… I don't want to admit that it's time to let you go."

Gohan lowered his gaze. "I feel the same way. Still, I can't stay here, Tobney. You know that."

Tobney nodded a couple of times. "I know. I'm sorry for bringing it up." He said quickly. The two warriors fell into an uncomfortable silence as they both stared at the two babies. The curtains were drawn as they wanted to keep the room dark for the sleeping infants.

Gohan fidgeted with the soft fabric that was stitched all around the edges of the bedstead. The young warrior briefly allowed his mind to wander what could happen. He could see himself staying with his comrades. He would watch the two babies grow up. He would guide the army together with Tobney. He would train with his comrades and get stronger. He could marry Sianna and maybe even create his own offspring with her… But they would grow up in a violent world…

Gohan shook his head to clear the images from his mind. After this he placed his hand back on the bedstead but his hand wasn't placed properly and it slid off the edge. Before he could stop it his hand crashed into the second bedstead. A sharp pain shot through his hand and he let out a curse: "Fuck!" The young warrior widened his eyes for a moment and he quickly looked to the two babies.

One of the infants was making a sad face as she stared up to the two men for only a second before she started to cry loudly. This woke up her sisters and within a second the room was filled with the screeches of the sad infants. Gohan shook his head as he waved his hands in a negating manner, as if the babies would respond to that. Tobney placed a hand on his forehead. "Kanda is going to kill me." He complained in a loud voice.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Suta Team was in the middle of their daily training. The fact that Tobney was now a father was no reason for the rest of the group to slack off. As a matter of fact, they had a new recruit to train and this called for extra harsh trainings.

Sianna flew back to avoid getting punched off her feet. She hastily jumped back to avoid a kick. The young soldier blocked the next punch and she could feel a jolt of pain running down her arm. She let out a gasp and pulled back. Suno raised an eyebrow as he gave Sianna a moment to work through the pain. Sianna couldn't believe that even when she blocked and deflected punches or blasts, she still got hurt. She never realized how much blasts burned at her flesh when she tried to catch them. Tobney told her she would get used to the feeling. Right now she found it very unlikely that she would get used to this constant pain.

Suno studied the female as he waited for her to return to the fight. He often gave her the option to give up but she never did. She always came back to the fight. She was the first to enter the training room in the morning and she was the last to leave at night. When she first joined the Suta Team, Sianna was so eager to prove her own worth that she almost worked herself to death. She spent hours and hours in the training room. When she wasn't training with the others, she would be lifting weights or doing cardio. This continued until Tobney intervened and ordered Sianna to follow a strict schedule. The schedule allowed her to spend most of her hours training but it also included other less physical activities such as meditation.

Sianna focused her energy. Her eyes made contact with Suno's gaze and she nodded. The man inclined his head towards her in response. The game was back on. Sianna was the first to attack. She pulled back her arm to punch him but she realized he was going to block this attack. The young soldier tried to change her tactics midway the attack. However, as she faltered in her punch in order to change her attack, she failed to protect her ribs. Suno's eyes narrowed for a moment and before Sianna knew it she felt his solid knee bumping against her lower ribs. Suno's fist connected with her cheek and she fell backwards. Her body skidded across the floor before she landed a few feet away.

Suno landed on the ground. They were only a few feet above the ground so Sianna's fall was not that bad. Sianna pushed her body up once again. She kept her eyes on her enemy as she sat up. Suno placed his fists on his hips. "Don't try to make any fancy maneuvers." He stated as he watched her crawl back up into a standing position. "You can't pull them off yet. Focus on making sure your defense is unbreakable. Once that's done, we'll get to the fancy stuff."

Sianna blew out a sigh. "Okay." She responded before she dropped back to a fighting stance. "Let's keep going."

Suno couldn't help but smile. "Alright." He was always up for a good fight, especially when he was winning.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"I don't think this is going to work though." Gohan stared at the projections that were floating above the table in front of them. "We're already losing so many credits. We need to make a more profitable agreement."

Tobney sipped from the cup of coffee. The two warriors were discussing one of the many deals with a planet that they had to change now that they no longer accepted slaves as payment. Back when Vegeta was still the leader of the army, he would trade solar energy for slaves and credits. He would sell these slaves or keep them on his ship so that they could grow up and become soldiers. Slave trade was a lucrative business. Still, Tobney and Gohan persisted that they had to stop the slave trade. They didn't want any part in it anymore. The problem was that a lot of planets could not afford to pay the total price in credits. That's why these planets often offered up manual labor instead.

"And we already asked them to cut down on their energy-use, right?" Tobney placed a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. They'd been in this meeting for hours and hours now. It was way passed their regular bedtime…. Well, they didn't really have a regular bedtime anymore. Ever since they took over the army, they had been in constant meetings and press conferences. Whenever they could, they would try to fit in a training session or a nap.

Gohan nodded once before he yawned. "Yes, they're already cutting back on practically everything. Maybe we should accept a couple of slaves."

Tobney slowly shook his head. "We won't sell them and if we keep them here we'll have to start paying them a salary. It will only lose us credits."

"Well then I don't know what to say." Gohan complained as he threw up his hands and leaned back on his seat.

Tobney glanced to his best friend and a small smile appeared on his face. "Well that's a first. I'll alert the media." He teased.

Gohan made an annoyed expression at his best friend. Tobney smiled as he got up. "You should go to bed." He stated. "I'll go too."

Gohan watched as Tobney got up. "What about the deal?" He asked.

"It will still be here when we wake up." Tobney responded. He pushed against Gohan's shoulder. "Get up, kiddo."

Gohan yawned once more and he allowed Tobney to guide him to the doorway. The two friends headed for their quarters. The hallways were empty as it was the particular moment that a lot of bedtimes overlapped. The regular soldiers were all on different sleep schedules as this made sure that there was enough room in the training centers for all the soldiers who were awake. Gohan and Tobney were quiet as they walked. Their thoughts were still on the meeting. They both stared at the ground as they walked, still thinking over all the possibilities that they could use to make this deal more profitable.

Tobney placed his palm against the doorway to open the door to their quarters and the two warriors stepped into common room.

"SURPRISE!"

Tobney and Gohan were rudely awoken by the loudness of the cheers. The two warriors were startled for a moment. Within a second they were surrounded and Tobney was pulled into the room by several hands.

Gohan frowned thoughtfully but then realized that it was indeed Tobney's birthday. He was aware of the fact that it was Tobney's birthday tomorrow but he'd forgotten about it during the meeting and now it was tomorrow. The half-saiyan could feel his mind spin for a moment.

Suno smacked on Tobney's back and Itoro handed him a drink. Comora presented a cake and everyone cheered loudly as Tobney blew out the candles.

Gohan smiled as he accepted a drink from Solarus. How did they organize this without telling him? Why did they organize this without telling him?

Solarus wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You were way too busy. I couldn't do it to you to make your workload even heavier." She said in his ear. The noise in the room was very loud.

Gohan looked around the room. A lot of warriors and slaves were gathered here. A group of third class warriors that Gohan knew were Tobney's former comrades, many former slaves whom Tobney was friends with and several elite soldiers were present in the room.

Now, Tobney was surrounded by the hard core. The members of the Suta Team were grinning widely as they congratulated their younger comrade.

Gohan arrived just as Tobney was giving an amazed look around the room. The man's gaze moved to his comrades. "I didn't even know you knew my birthday was coming up. You didn't say anything." He accused.

"Of course." Suno responded, smug with the entire situation. "That's the whole idea of a surprise party."

"Twenty-six years old!" Itoro roughly tousled Tobney's dark-blue hair. "And you've come such a long way."

"Still look like a baby to me though!" Kaon yelled cheerfully.

"Yeah right. I have children of my own now, Kaon." Tobney responded..

"Doesn't matter. You'll always be the kid of the team, Tobney." Comora returned, grinning widely. "No matter how old you get."

Tobney rolled his eyes but he was feeling exceptionally meek because of the party. The party continued steadily as Tobney cut the cake and everyone gathered to eat.

It wasn't long after this that Gohan headed for the kitchen to get something to drink. The half-saiyan retrieved a soda and closed the refrigerator only to notice that Suno and Comora were standing not too far from him. Gohan stepped closer to his comrades and sent them a smile. "This was nice of you." He stated. "I think Tobney needed the affirmation that you appreciate his work here."

"He shouldn't." Comora said, shrugging.

"Yeah, what is that?" Suno turned his head to look at the youngster. "Why do you youngsters need to receive validation from others all the time? Can't you just assume you're doing a good job as long as nobody is actually complaining?"

Gohan shook his head. "That's not how it works."

"That's idiotic." Suno returned. Gohan just shrugged in response.

While Suno was shaking his head, his squad leader smiled as he surveyed the birthday boy. "Can you believe that it's been almost ten years since we caught him?" Comora asked.

The half-saiyan glanced at his comrades. Suno blew out sigh. "I can't. To be honest. It feels like just yesterday that we were sent out to catch a little runaway. We were just returning from a mission, right?"

Comora nodded once. "Yes, we were. We just finished a mission and we were on our way back when Vegeta called and asked us to stop a space pod that was near us. It contained a fugitive soldier who just escaped from the camp."

"You were told to catch him?" Gohan asked, curiously.

The two adults glanced at him. "You didn't know?"

"I don't know anything about the time before I joined the team." Gohan responded, somewhat annoyed. "Neither you nor Tobney will tell me."

Suno and Comora both smiled. "Tobney doesn't really want us to talk about it."

"But I don't think he would mind if you told me about your first meeting." Gohan managed to show an innocent smile. "To be fair, he practically hacked my memories and forced his way to my memory of my first meeting with Vegeta. That wasn't entirely honest either." Gohan referred back to a moment that occurred several years ago. Back then, Gohan was hiding the true height of his powers because he feared Vegeta would kill him if he got too strong. Comora noticed something was going on and he gathered the Suta Team so that they could ambush the half-saiyan. They did so and Tobney was given the opportunity to use his psychic powers to invade Gohan's mind in order to find whatever secret Gohan was trying to hold onto. It went terribly wrong when Tobney got too curious, searched for too painful memories and instigated an anger attack from the half-saiyan.

"True." Comora stated slowly. The man exchanged glances with Suno. The latter shrugged. He didn't really seem to have an opinion on the matter. Comora took a breath as his turquoise hand brushed through his bright yellow hair. "But we're a little more loyal to him than we are to you, kiddo." The man noticed Gohan's expression and he quickly changed the statement. "I mean, Lord Gohan."

The half-saiyan decided to let it slide. Suno sipped from his drink. "Can you remember how he looked when we picked him up? He was nothing but skin and bones back then. How did he come so far?"

"Skin and bones?" Gohan questioned. He still wasn't letting go of the topic.

Comora pressed his lips together. "Ehh… Lord Tobney was assigned to lower class teams before he joined us. But he escaped from each of them. The lower class soldiers tend to starve a resisting soldier into submission." He explained. "It's difficult to be disobedient when you have no energy."

"You disapprove of that tactic." Gohan noticed the expression on Comora's face and drew his conclusion from that.

Comora shrugged casually. "It ruins a soldier from the beginning. We need energy to train and progress. Dieting to such an extreme only ruins the body. I still remember that I could easily count his ribs. It was such a waste. I thought he was a lost cause."

"Yeah, me too." Suno agreed.

Gohan studied his comrades for a moment. There was one thing that bothered him. "You remember that he was so skinny you could count his ribs? How did you see that?"

Comora's lips curved into a smile as he glanced to his younger comrade. "Well, I don't believe in starving a soldier into submission. However, as you may have noticed yourself, I'm quite a fan of humiliating new recruits when they need to be punished. So, I took off his clothes. Well, his shirt. I think he wasn't wearing a uniform when we caught him."

"He wasn't." Suno added. Gohan raised an eyebrow at them. "That is, until we forced him to change into one."

Gohan slowly shook his head. "Poor guy."

"What are you guys doing here?" Tobney appeared out of nowhere and gave them all a smile. "You're all looking quite grave. You're not talking about work-related issues, right?"

"No, we were just recalling some of your childhood memories." Comora returned, sending Tobney a sweet smile.

The expression on Tobney's face changed for a moment as he blue eyes went to Gohan. "Not too old memories, I hope."

Suno couldn't help but grin. "It depends on what you call very old memories." He returned.

Tobney glanced to their empty drinks. "Oh, look at that. Your drinks are empty! Let's get them filled." He snatched the glasses from their hands. "Come on, guys!" He said as he turned and headed for the refrigerator.

Gohan was about to follow them but he was distracted by a certain Saiyan prince. Vegeta was standing in the corner of the room, observing the goings on. He tended to do that. He always kept his distance from celebrations and just watched them from the sidelines.

The half-saiyan approached his former master. "I'm not sure if Tobney would like you being here." He stated as a greeting.

Vegeta shrugged. "I was here before they started preparing the room for the party. Apparently, your comrades still have some respect for me as they did let me know that Tobney wouldn't like seeing me here and I'm not necessarily invited. But nobody told me to leave. So I stayed."

"And you don't care that nobody wants you here?" Gohan questioned.

Vegeta's dark eyes met his gaze. The man seemed amused with the question. "You will never get what you want if you only care about what others want." He stated. Gohan only shrugged in response. He would never understand Vegeta. "I heard that the ship is travelling to the Northern Quatrain. Are you officially retiring?"

Gohan nodded slowly. "We still have a couple of months." He responded. "Tobney doesn't like it but he has to admit that I kept my end of the bargain. Now he has to keep his promise too."

"Are you sure that he will?" Vegeta glanced to Tobney.

The nineteen-year-old turned to look at his best friend. Tobney was now talking to Comora and Suno. The three seemed to be talking about something amusing as they were all smiling and laughing. "He will. I know that he will."

"I hope so." Vegeta seemed to find it amusing to feed Gohan's worries. "It would be terrible for you to have to run away from your best friend. Maybe you should just accept that you'll never get to go back to that stupid planet."

Gohan frowned in return. "Let me be the first person to tell you to leave. You're not wanted here. Get out of my quarters."

Vegeta grinned in response. "Touchy about the topic, are we? Alright. I'll leave you alone with your brand new captors." The man stretched his arms for a moment before he left the room.

Gohan scoffed as he watched Vegeta walk away. The half-saiyan turned so he could search for his best friend. His expression softened when he noticed Tobney was downing a bottle of leftover wine. A group of soldiers was encouraging him loudly and they cheered when he finished the wine and held it up. Gohan blew out a sigh. Guess who was going to be drunk again? Well, the half-saiyan grabbed a beer and opened the bottle, he might as well join them. It wasn't like they were going to get anything productive done today anyway.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Preview:**

Gohan studied his former girlfriend. His eyes went from her short brown hair to her bright yellow eyes. The fire in her eyes was what attracted him to her the most. Her strength empowered him. Her power made him want to be stronger than he was before. He wanted to be the best person he could possibly be so he could be good enough for the person standing in front of him.

"Come with me." Gohan stated as he stepped closer to her. He placed his hands on her upper arms. "Come with me to planet earth."

A tear dropped from Sianna's eyes. "I can't. You know I can't do that, Gohan."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Are you taking one last look at the ship." Vegeta asked after a moment. Gohan smiled and nodded. "So am I." The man took a deep breath and let it out in one big sigh. "Can you imagine how hard I worked to create this army?" His gaze landed on the half-saiyan again. "After finding Comora and rounding up a group of soldiers that was loyal to me, I spent a year working so hard Comora often wondered if I would work myself to death. I did nothing else but recruiting new soldiers, having meetings and working out the statistics and information. I wanted to have the greatest army in the universe. And for a while I did…. I just never realized how easily it could all be taken from me. In just one second."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Change into a uniform and come with me." Vegeta ordered before he turned to leave. The man was planning on finding a comfortable tree he could lean against while waiting for the half-saiyan. However, he froze when he heard Gohan's response to his order.

"No."

The saiyan prince turned around to meet Gohan's stern gaze. "What did you just say?"

 **Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: Goodbyes and New Beginnings

**Chapter 7. Goodbyes and New Beginnings.**

Gohan smiled as he looked around the large room. All his comrades were present in the training room. They were having their last training together while Gohan was still on the ship with them. They were only a few days away from planet Earth. The journey there had been uneventful as Gohan and Tobney worked day and night to finish all the projects they started together. Meanwhile Gohan slowly but surely handed over all his tasks to the other elite soldiers. Now, he didn't have anything left to do himself but train. It was actually a little boring.

"You don't really shield your thoughts when you're being sentimental, do you?" Tobney appeared in front of him. The man smiled at the half-saiyan when Gohan frowned in response. "I could feel the melancholy from the other side of the room." Tobney pointed in a random direction as he raised an eyebrow at the half-saiyan.

"It can't be helped." Gohan responded meekly. "Now, will you distract me from my melancholy?"

Tobney grinned. "I would be honored." He responded.

The two warriors attacked each other head on. Training together was always a blast as they were used to each other's style. Managing to land a hit was such a challenge. It was a goal they very much intended to reach whenever they trained together.

Gohan moved back as Tobney was on the offence. The half-saiyan had to block several punches before he saw an opening in Tobney's defense. The half-saiyan timed his punch perfectly, pushed it straight through the opening between Tobney's arms and managed to land it on Tobney's cheek. His friend was shocked by the sudden pain but he pushed back, bringing down a fist on Gohan's head. Gohan hit back immediately as well. The two exchanged punches rapidly, momentarily forgetting to protect themselves as they tried to inflict as much pain on each other as they possibly could.

Gohan allowed his body to fall back suddenly. He brought up his legs to kick Tobney but his best friend managed to jump back just in time. Tobney blew out a sigh as he saw how close Gohan's boots just were to actually kicking him. That would have been quite painful. Gohan moved his arms behind him to catch his own fall and he pushed off so that he could land on his two feet again. He had to jump up immediately to avoid being kicked by Tobney. Gohan flew up when Tobney tried to punch him and he realized that his friend followed him closely.

In mid-air, Gohan stopped flying just in time to catch a punch. Tobney's pale fist was now locked in Gohan's hand and the half-saiyan pulled him closer. Before his friend could do anything, Gohan kneed his stomach and punched him quickly afterwards. Tobney had to endure the assault for a moment before he was released and he quickly flew back.

The two smiled at each other. They were in their element and they were enjoying themselves. Gohan motioned for Tobney to attack him once more. The older warrior complied happily. They would sincerely enjoy this last training before they had to part ways.

Several hours later, Gohan made his way to his room. He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings. If he had, he would have noticed the power level that was present in his room. He would have turned around to avoid running into this person. But he wasn't paying attention and so he suddenly stood face to face with his former lover.

"Sianna." He stated.

The young woman turned to look at him. Apparently, she was gathering her belongings. The bag on the ground said as much. Gohan did notice that she left the training early. He didn't realize that she left to move out of his quarters though. Yes, they'd broken up and she hadn't been to his quarters since then. Still… this seemed to make it so permanent.

"I'm sorry." Sianna's golden eyes wavered as she met his brown orbs. "I can leave."

"No," Gohan responded, "I'll leave." He was about to turn around when her voice stopped him.

"Don't… I mean…." Sianna blew out a sigh. "I don't mind having you around, you know." She allowed a uniform that she was holding to fall in the open bag.

Gohan froze and watched for a moment as she continued to load her clothes into the bag. She didn't really have many belongings as she'd been a slave most of her time here. However, as she got the elite status, she also received several uniforms, boots and armors that she could wear while she was working. "How's your arm?" He asked as he approached her.

Sianna looked up. "My arm?"

"I noticed that you tried to avoid using your arm during the training just now." Gohan explained. "That's why the guys targeted exactly that arm."

"Ah," Sianna made a face, "I was already wondering why they kept hitting me there." She admitted.

Gohan showed her a disarming smile. "You need to learn how to hide your pain." He advised. "Otherwise the others will keep hitting you where you're hurting the most. You know how they are."

Sianna nodded while she reached out to pull a uniform out of the closet. She winced just like she'd done several times while Gohan had been watching her. Gohan caught the wince and this helped him make a decision. "Do you want me to look at your shoulder?" He offered. Back when they were still in a relationship, Gohan often massaged her shoulders in order to ease the tension caused by the many training sessions they went through.

Sianna met his gaze and nodded slowly. "Thanks." She got up and turned her back on him. Gohan approached her in order to place his hands on her shoulders. The young warrior didn't notice that Sianna closed her eyes the moment his hands made contact with her shoulders. He did notice the tiny spark that went through his hands, arms and rest of his body the moment he touched her. Flashbacks of their moments together shot through his mind's eye.

Gohan's fingers gently searched for the muscles under her skin until he found the one guilty of causing Sianna pain. He applied pressure to it and noticed that Sianna tensed. "Breathe." Gohan instructed before he started to massage the muscle in order to ease the tension.

Sianna focused on her breathing while she endured the pain. Breathe in through the nose. Breathe out through the mouth. Focusing on her breathing didn't numb the pain but it made it less penetrating.

"Are you okay?" Gohan stated quietly.

"No…" Sianna answered truthfully before she opened her eyes. "I mean…" She stepped away from his intoxicating touch, "I'm fine."

Gohan allowed his arms to drop to his side now that he couldn't touch her shoulders anymore. He watched her turn to look at him. The half-saiyan noticed how watery her eyes were and he realized he was not the only one who found their separation difficult. "I miss you, Sianna." He admitted.

"Well, get used to the feeling. I have to as well." Sianna crossed her arms over each other defensively.

Gohan studied his former girlfriend. His eyes went from her short brown hair to her bright yellow eyes. The fire in her eyes was what attracted him to her the most. Her strength empowered him. Her power made him want to be stronger than he was before. He wanted to be the best person he could possibly be so he could be good enough for the person standing in front of him.

"Come with me." Gohan stated as he stepped closer to her. He placed his hands on her upper arms. "Come with me to planet earth."

A tear dropped from Sianna's eyes. "I can't. You know I can't do that, Gohan."

"Why not? I don't understand. We talked about this before the rebellion. We were going to be free from this world. We were going to go to planet earth and live there. You were looking forward to it." Gohan knew that he sounded desperate but he was. He really was. He couldn't imagine a life without Sianna. He could not see how even going to planet earth, his one and only dream, could make him happy if Sianna was not there to accompany him.

"We wouldn't be happy." Sianna responded. "I wouldn't be happy. And it would destroy us. You're smart enough to know, Gohan. I cannot ask you to give up your dreams and you cannot let me do the same for you."

Gohan realized that she was right. Though he could care less about her dreams at the moment – all he wanted was for her to stay with him – he knew he would hate himself for guilt-tripping her into following his dreams. They had to follow their own dreams for now.

"If we're meant to be together, we will find our way back to each other. Someday." Sianna whispered before she looked up at him.

Gohan returned her gaze. "I love you." He whispered.

Sianna smiled in return. "I love you two." She responded. The two held each other's gaze for a moment before they both leaned in for a kiss. Though sweet and passionate, the kiss felt like the end of something. They both knew this kiss signaled a temporary parting. They would kiss again but only when they were ready. And then they could return to each other.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"We still have five hours before we land on planet Earth." Comora appeared next to the half-saiyan. The man studied the small planet for only a moment before he looked to the youngster. "This would be the perfect time for you to make the rounds." He noticed Gohan's confused expression. "Walk around a little. Look at the ship one more time. This has been your home for almost seven years. I think that deserves a proper goodbye."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "I'll do that. Thanks."

"I'll call you when we're thirty minutes away." Comora responded. Gohan nodded again before he left the room.

The half-saiyan did what Comora advised. He walked around and just took a moment to inspect every room. He noted the tiny details of the rooms he'd been walking in and out of for years now. He tried to save the pictures in his mind. Though he never chose to live here, he had some great times here. Fond memories that he didn't want to forget. He grew up in these rooms.

Gohan headed into the office that once belonged to Vegeta and he was surprised to find his former master there. Vegeta was sitting at his desk, apparently eying the room silently. Gohan didn't say anything as he headed closer to the desk and sat down on the chair that was standing on the other side of the desk. The two warriors stared at each other for a moment as they enjoyed this brief moment of familiarity.

"Are you taking one last look at the ship?" Vegeta asked after a moment. Gohan smiled and nodded. "So am I." The man took a deep breath and let it out in one big sigh. "Can you imagine how hard I worked to create this army?" His gaze landed on the half-saiyan again. "After finding Comora and rounding up a group of soldiers that was loyal to me, I spent a year working so hard Comora often wondered if I would work myself to death. I did nothing else but recruiting new soldiers, having meetings and working out the statistics and information. I wanted to have the greatest army in the universe. And for a while I did…. I just never realized how easily it could all be taken from me. In just one second."

Gohan lowered his gaze when Vegeta looked up at him again. The half-saiyan was aware of Vegeta's hard work and a tiny part of him felt a little guilty about the entire situation. Just a tiny bit. "Why do you want to go?" Vegeta's question forced Gohan to look up again. The half-saiyan didn't really understand at first so Vegeta continued: "Why do you not want to stay? You are the leader of the greatest army in the universe. Why would you want to leave all this?" Vegeta made a grand gesture with his arms. "You're good at it, Gohan. You're smart enough to make the decisions, strong enough to uphold your position and you have the charisma to face public. You were made for this job."

"You're wrong." Gohan responded. "This is not who I am. Besides, do you want to spend the rest of your life in ki-bonds?"

Vegeta shrugged. "You would take them off me. You're a forgiving person." He sent Gohan a smile that made Gohan realize Vegeta knew him too well. The man knew how Gohan thought. Nevertheless, the same could be said for Gohan. He knew exactly how Vegeta thought.

"No, I'm going to planet earth. That's all I want." Gohan responded.

"Fine. I'll come with you." Vegeta said. "The Saiyan race needs to stay together… And maybe I'll consider finally creating some offspring. It will keep life interesting to have a second half-saiyan running around on planet earth."

Gohan raised both his eyebrows. "You and Stirania?" He asked. Vegeta nodded once. "How are you going to do that?"

Vegeta tilted his head sideways for a moment and couldn't help but smile. "I thought you and Sianna had crossed that border already? Or do I still need to take you through the traditional steps that occur when copulating?"

"No," Gohan waved his hands and shook his head to stop Vegeta, "I just meant that you haven't had a child. I just figured that you two couldn't… you know…. Because you hadn't…." Gohan blew out a sigh as he could feel his cheeks getting warmer by the second. He suddenly wished he never started this conversation.

Vegeta seemed amused but he didn't tease the half-saiyan anymore. "No, we decided not to have a child. We knew any offspring would only be in danger. I had enemies all over the universe. Besides, I already had an heir." The man's gaze met Gohan's brown eyes for a moment. "That's all I needed." The man shrugged once more. "Now I can produce a child because I want to. That may be interesting."

Gohan smiled. "Living on planet earth will definitely be a challenge. It's one I cannot wait to meet."

And he didn't have to wait long. The last few hours flew by and soon Gohan was standing on the grounds of his beloved planet. He could feel the oxygen in his lungs, the sun on his skin and the gentle breeze of the wind that made his hair dance slightly. The youngster never felt so happy to just stand somewhere.

Tobney and Gohan hugged each other tightly. Gohan was torn between the happiness he felt over being back on planet earth and the loss he felt because he had to be left behind here. His friends would leave. His entire world would leave without him.

"We'll be back to visit you in five years." Tobney stated as they both hugged each other so tightly that their bones winced a little. They didn't care in the slightest though. They wanted to save this feeling. It would have to last them for five years.

"I can't wait." Gohan returned. It was all he could say. He feared he would burst out crying if he said anything else.

Comora's bright red eyes studied his former master. "Please don't kill each other." He stated.

Vegeta couldn't help but laugh. "Are you afraid the planet is too small for the both of us?"

"Do you blame me?"

"No," Vegeta grinned, "I very much understand. Don't worry. This planet would be too boring without the little runt running around me."

"Hmmm…." Comora made a face. "I look forward to seeing you both when we return for a visit."

Vegeta nodded. "I look forward to it as well, Comora. You have always been the one person I never minded having around. It will be sad to live without you."

Coming from Vegeta, this was a great praise. Comora realized this as he smiled to his friend. The man bowed to Vegeta one last time. "It was a great run, lord." He stated in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"We had fun." Vegeta appreciated the last attribute to his former status. "Now, go make sure Tobney doesn't run the army right into a black hole."

Comora nodded once. "Yes sir." He stated. The man approached the half-saiyan and tousled his hair. "Keep Vegeta in line, please." He stated.

Gohan laughed and nodded. "I will definitely try." He returned. The rest of the team already said goodbye to Gohan and Vegeta. Dende decided to stay on planet earth as well. The Namekian was standing near the rest of the group.

Sianna and Gohan said goodbye before the ship landed. She was now standing in the doorway, watching everything from afar. Solarus was standing next to her. Solarus was now Tobney's assistant. She never really wanted to be a soldier and she had no interest in going back to her planet. She got paid royally for her job and she spent most of her credits on beautiful clothing and jewellery.

Tobney noticed that Gohan was looking at Sianna. "I will keep an eye on her." He stated in order to gain Gohan's attention.

The half-saiyan looked up at him and grinned. "Nah, I was just thinking that she will keep you all in line." He stated.

Tobney laughed in response. "She probably will. Honestly, with Sianna, Solarus and Kanda, I will have no say in my own life whatsoever." He joked.

The two grinned to each other. Gohan took a breath. "Go." He stated. Tobney nodded once. The young warrior turned and called all the warriors to him.

"Let's go." Tobney called. "The fresh air will get to our heads if we stay here too long." The rest of the warriors followed him to the entrance of the ship. There they all turned to wave at Gohan and Vegeta.

And then they were gone.

The first place Gohan visited was his house. The half-saiyan felt that he could never be happier as he looked his mother in the eyes. She was surprised by his sudden appearance.

"I'm back." Gohan grinned. Chi-chi gave a shriek as she threw her arms around him. "I'm here to stay this time." Gohan continued, wrapping his arms around his mother.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

The door closed behind them and Tobney ordered the orderlies to prepare for lift off. The man could feel his heart pound in his chest. This was going to be one of the most difficult things he ever experienced. He knew he would see Gohan again and he was clinging to that thought. However, he was also aware that it would be a very long time until he would meet his friend again. And the thought that Gohan wouldn't be around to talk to or see on a daily basis made Tobney feel horrible.

Sianna was leaning against the wall. Her face was lowered as she tried to use her short hair to hide her face. Silent tears were leaking down her cheeks. She didn't realize how tough this was going to be. As they travelled to planet earth she kept telling herself that she would be okay. She told herself that the loss wouldn't be that bad. However, now that they had crossed the point of no return, she could feel the pain weighing on her heavily. Her innards felt as if they were rotting from the inside. A heavy feeling inside her was torturing her silently. She learned a long time ago that out of all the cruelty in the universe, her own mind could be the most vicious. Her own worries and thoughts could torture her mind the best. They were her greatest enemy.

"Are you okay?" Tobney appeared next to her. The young man tilted his head forwards a little bit in order to catch her eyes.

Sianna moved her hands over the area under her eyes to wipe away the tears. She didn't want to show how sad she was. She didn't want them to know. It was difficult to hide though. The tears just kept coming. There was nothing she could do to stop them.

"Just… Leave me alone for a bit." Sianna responded. She took a deep breath to keep her voice from shaking.

Tobney slowly shook his head as a smile appeared on his face. "That's not how it works, Sianna." He responded. The young warrior turned to the rest of the group. "Alright, guys. We've got work to do. One of our own is sad."

Smiles appeared on the faces of the warriors. Suno nodded as he stepped closer to them. "We can party like the best of them."

"We did a similar favour to the rookie. We'll turn that frown upside down. Let's get the alcohol ready and the prostitutes polished." Itoro suggested as he stepped closer. "Male prostitutes, of course. We'll order an entire bunch just for you."

Sianna scoffed but she couldn't help but smile. Tobney grinned in response. "There we go. That's a sight for sore eyes." He stated.

"It's just that. All these suggestions just make me wonder if I'm actually going to be feeling better or worse." Sianna responded.

Tobney laughed in response. "There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" He wrapped an arm around Sianna's shoulders and squeezed them gently. "We'll get through this together."

Meanwhile, a night passed on planet earth. Vegeta and Stirania were invited to spend the night at Capsule Corporation. Bulma was so happy to be back on planet earth that she was lenient towards her capturer. Still, Vegeta was eager to find a place for him and Stirania to live together.

The Saiyan prince appeared in front of Gohan's door the following morning, demanding that Gohan help him search for a place to live. Gohan was not amused.

"Can't you find a place to live by yourself?" Gohan asked.

Vegeta's eyes were distracted by Gohan's appearance. They moved down and up, studying the comfortable blue shirt and the jogging pants. "Why aren't you dressed?"

Gohan looked down to his outfit. "I am dressed." His gaze moved to Vegeta's face again.

"Change into an armour and come with me." Vegeta ordered before he turned to leave. The man was planning on finding a comfortable tree he could lean against while waiting for the half-saiyan. However, he froze when he heard Gohan's response to his order.

"No."

The saiyan prince turned around to meet Gohan's stern gaze. "What did you just say?"

"I like this outfit. I'm not going to change." Gohan stated. "And I have no intention to help you. I'm going to spend the day with my mother." He crossed his arms over each other as he leaned against the doorpost with his shoulder.

Vegeta stepped closer to the youngster. "Do what I say."

"I don't have to listen to you anymore, Vegeta." Gohan was not intimidated at all. "You're not my master. And I don't care that you were a prince. You're not anymore here. We're equals. So you'll have to ask me for my help. Politely. And then maybe I'll feel lenient and help you out. Tomorrow. Or next week. But not right now."

Vegeta's mouth was open as he listened to Gohan. The man could feel the anger rising as Gohan spoke. He clenched his fists tightly and made a threatening move towards the youngster. "If you don't do as I say, I will beat…"

"You'll do what exactly?" Gohan's voice was sharp as he interrupted the man. The half-saiyan's calm attitude had changed somewhat as his eyes narrowed. Vegeta realized that Gohan was slowly powering up. "Do you really think you're in the position to make threats here?"

Vegeta didn't say anything but he did step back. He caught the warning. Gohan didn't have to say anything else. The boy didn't even move. It was just that look in Gohan's eyes. The slight change in his power level. The gentlest narrowing of his eyes. Vegeta knew he had to back off.

"Exactly." Gohan smiled as he stood straight. "I would practice on the word 'please' if I were you. I'll see you later, Vegeta." The door slammed in Vegeta's face.

The man blew out a sigh and now realized that his heart was beating quite fast. He'd never felt like this when interacting with the half-saiyan. What prompted this change in Gohan's behaviour? When did the boy get this confident?

A little lost, Vegeta turned and left. He decided to go back to capsule corp. and discuss the situation with Stirania. Maybe she would know what to do.

Little did Vegeta know, his former apprentice was standing inside the house with his back against the door. The young warrior couldn't help but let out little laughs as he realized what he just did. A childish glee spread through him as he savoured the look on Vegeta's face. He would enjoy shaping Vegeta into a different man. The man would have to change if he wanted to live a comfortable life on planet earth. Gohan was stronger and therefore Gohan was in charge. And the half-saiyan planned on making sure Vegeta damn-well knew it.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"This feels wrong." Tobney stated as he glanced to his comrade. Comora caught his glance and he sent Tobney an expression that told the youngster that the man knew what he was talking about.

"The first training without Gohan is supposed to be weird. That's why it's good to start so soon." Comora responded. His fiery red eyes focused on the battle that was going on in front of them.

Right after they left planet earth, Comora steered their plans for a party to the decision to start a training session. If anything would get their mind off of their sadness, it would be some good old bashing. Tobney smiled as he turned to his comrade. "Well then, let's get to it."

The warriors turned to each other and they both sank into a fighting stance. Tobney couldn't help but smile as he studied his comrade. He liked training. He couldn't help it. After all these years, he got used to training.

"Give me a good challenge this time, Comora." Tobney stated as he sank into a fighting stance. Comora followed his example. "I need to be distracted."

"I will definitely try, sir." Comora returned easily. The banter was almost mandatory before matches between good friends.

The slight narrowing of Tobney's blue eyes was the only warning Comora received before his master was suddenly right in front of him. Tobney pulled back a fist and tried to punch his subordinate. Comora managed to dodge the punch by tilting his head sideways. While he did so, he bent his leg to knee Tobney but he could feel Tobney's hand catching the attack.

Tobney used Comora's knee as leverage to push his body up and he moved up his leg to kick Comora's head. The man fell back to avoid the kick. His eyes widened for a moment as Tobney's boot flashed mere centimeters from his nose. That would have been very painful. Comora placed his hands behind him to catch his fall but this left him wide open for Tobney's white boot.

Tobney swiped Comora's feet off the ground – forcing the older man to lose his footing – and he kicked the man's body afterwards. Comora rolled a few feet before he pushed off. He had to get off the ground. Lying on the ground was a very bad position to be in when fighting a highly skilled warrior such as Tobney.

Tobney was right on his heels. The youngster reached out to grab Comora's ankle but an energy blast that came from behind made him stop and jump aside. The young warrior frowned at his older comrade. "Oh really? You thought you could surprise me?"

Suno grinned as he spread his arms. "One can hope."

Tobney was about to answer when he noticed movement behind him. Comora was about to grab him from behind but Tobney moved out of the way. Comora snapped with his fingers as he made a disapproving sound.

"Nope." Tobney taunted. "You already used that tactic on me, Comora."

"It worked the last time." Comora returned. He was referring to the fight they had several months ago when Tobney and Gohan tried and succeeded to overthrow Vegeta. At the time, Comora managed to sneak up on Tobney while Suno distracted the youngster. The two older warriors gained the upper hand due to this tactic.

"I learn fast." Tobney placed his hands on his hips. "Let's keep going."

Sianna, Itoro and Kaon were exchanging punches on high speed. Sianna was focused as she dodged and caught all the punches thrown in her direction. It didn't happen often that two of her comrades would team up against her but she could have expected it to happen now as they wanted to distract her. What better distraction was there than trying to make sure you wouldn't get beat up by two of your comrades?

The young warrior moved her head sideways to avoid a punch from Itoro while her hand pushed a kick from Kaon away. Her leg moved up to block a knee from Itoro. She allowed her body to fall back when Kaon tried to punch her. Moving up her hands, Sianna allowed her body to fall back entirely and she placed her hands on the ground so she could summersault away from them.

The two warriors watched her do this. Sianna landed on her feet and she smiled at them before she moved up her hand and gestured for them to come at her again. Itoro grinned in response as he launched at her. Kaon let out a scoff. How did this girl get so strong so quickly? She was way too good at blocking their punches. The man allowed this thought to swirl in his head for only a moment before he decided to get back into the game. This time, he targeted Itoro. Sianna easily adjusted and turned her attention to Itoro as well.

All in all, Comora's idea to train rather than party was a good one. The warriors fell into the blissful focus that was really needed when confronted with oponents who were trying to bash their heads in.

Though the emptiness they felt at having to leave their good friend behind would not disappear any time soon, they could draw strength from each other and work through their sadness together.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Next time:**

"How…" Her question floated in the air. Chi-chi now walked around her son and studied his body. Her eyes moved over his arms and torso, taking in all the scars on his body.

"Whippings." Gohan answered truthfully.

Chi-chi's eyes were wide as she looked up. "Vegeta?"

Gohan nodded once. "Usually."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

The group mainly consisted of young male warriors and they were all focused on one person who was telling a story. Sianna's cat-like eyes were shining as she spoke about her most recent project.

Itoro studied the group. "They do dote on her, don't they? Why is that?"

"She's strong, independent and has a good physique. It all comes with the territory of being in the elite warrior team." Suno responded. The man crossed his arms over each other. "That doesn't mean we should allow it."

"Exactly. Follow me, gentlemen." Tobney beckoned for them to follow him with a wave of his arm. The warriors approached the group of youngsters.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Gohan." Vegeta stated as he approached the younger warrior. "Would you please help me find a place to live?"

Gohan nearly dropped the shirt he was about to hang up. The half-saiyan grinned at the Saiyan prince. "How difficult was that for you?"

 **Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: Separate Lives

**Hey you!**

 **Chapter 8. Separate Lives.**

Gohan awoke feeling strange. He almost couldn't believe that he was actually here. He woke up on planet Earth. He was in his own bed. In his own room. The half-saiyan felt as if he could dance for joy. However, a delicious scent distracted him from his thoughts and he got up and out of his bed. The youngsters first walked to his window and opened it. Fresh air floated into his room and he enjoyed the breeze, closing his eyes.

Having enough of this, Gohan turned and headed to the living room. The warrior smiled when he saw his mother. Yes, she was actually here. He could see her on a daily basis again. How he'd missed her.

"Good morning, mom." Gohan stated cheerfully. He savored the words as he spoke them. Mom. How long hadn't he been able to say that word? How he'd missed saying it. Mom. Such a small word. Insignificant but so special.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Chi-chi smiled as she turned around. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry." Gohan sat down at the breakfast table and surveyed all the food with wide eyes. Chi-chi'd outdone herself. Stacks of pancakes, eggs, waffles and toast. He wondered if he could actually eat it all. "You didn't have to make this much."

"I haven't been able to make food for you for years, Gohan. I have a lot to catch up on." She responded as she sat down.

"Fair enough. I'll make breakfast tomorrow, okay?"

Chi-chi smiled. "You can make breakfast?"

"Of course." Gohan nodded once before he reached out to the stack of pancakes. "My cooking skills may not be the best but I've never made anyone sick either."

"Then you can make breakfast tomorrow. Now, eat up, my son." Chi-chi responded. Gohan didn't need any more encouragement to dig into the food.

After the massive breakfast, the two did the dishes together. They spend the rest of the day in the forest, walking around and watching life going on around them… And they did a lot of talking. They talked about Gohan's life under Vegeta's reign. He told her about the hardships but also about his fonder memories. He told about how he met Tobney and he spoke of Sianna.

Chi-chi was interested in his friends. She asked all about them. Despite that fact that he had to let his girlfriend go, his mother was happy to learn that Gohan did find love.

Reaching a stream, the two decided to sit down and have a picnic. Chi-chi offered to lay out the food they packed and wake a fire if Gohan tried to catch some fish. The half-saiyan had no objections to this suggestion and he headed for the stream. Once he was near the water, he reached down to take off his shirt. The youngster was about to throw the shirt aside when he heard a gasp from his mother.

"Oh Gohan!" She gasped.

The half-saiyan turned around to see what was going on but then he realized his mother was looking straight at him. Well, not at him. Her eyes were lowered to his chest, and he realized that they were actually focused on his back when he was turned away from her. The half-saiyan also immediately realized how his back must have looked to his mother. The scars from the many whippings he received from Vegeta's hands must have created quite a drawing on his back. The young warrior moved up his shirt to hide his torso from her widened eyes.

"I'm sorry. I forgot." Gohan stated quickly.

Chi-chi's eyes moved up to his brown orbs. She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, pressing gently to urge him to turn around again. The young warrior shook his head. "You don't need to see it, mom."

"Yes, I do." Chi-chi whispered in return. Gohan took a breath before he turned his back on her. He could feel her eyes, studying every scar on his back. A finger gently traced over his back. "Oh, Gohan." She stated. "How much have you suffered…"

Gohan could feel his eyes start to water but he wasn't sure why. "Does it still hurt?" she asked.

Gohan took a breath. "It itches sometimes." He responded.

"How…" Her question floated in the air. Chi-chi now walked around her son and studied his body. Her eyes moved over his arms and torso, taking in all the scars on his body.

"Whippings." Gohan answered truthfully.

Chi-chi's eyes were wide as she looked up. "Vegeta?"

Gohan nodded once. "Usually."

Chi-chi's eyes focused on a scar on Gohan's shoulder. Her hand moved to it and she gently touched it. "These too?"

"Training. My comrades got a little carried away." Gohan responded. He looked down to his own torso and he pointed to a graze on his lower ribs. "A blast I failed to catch during a mission." He explained. His hand moved to a round scar on his upper arm. "An enemy soldier hit me with a spear right here. That would've killed me if Tobney hadn't brought me to a rejuvenation tank right away. He saved my life that day." A small smile appeared on his face. "And he smacked me over the head for letting it happen."

Chi-chi placed a hand on Gohan's hand when he was about to point to another scar. She folded his hand in both her hands and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Gohan, that I couldn't protect you from all this pain." She stated. "And there's nothing I can do about it now but tell you that I will do anything I can to make sure you will never endure such pain again."

Gohan smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, mom. I'm okay now."

Chi-chi nodded once as she smiled back at him. Her eyes seemed watery but she refused to cry for his pain. She wouldn't allow herself. He was the only one allowed to cry for these tragedies. "I thought you were going to catch some fish." She stated.

Gohan grinned in response. "Yes."

The following day, Gohan was hanging the laundry. The young warrior looked sideways when Vegeta landed on the grass near him. The young warrior was feeling meek as he'd had a perfect day yesterday.

"Gohan." Vegeta stated as he approached the younger warrior. "Would you please help me find a place to live?"

Gohan nearly dropped the shirt he was about to hang up. The half-saiyan grinned at the Saiyan prince. "How difficult was that for you?" he asked.

"Very." Vegeta responded.

Gohan chuckled. "I'll bet." He held out the shirt for Vegeta. "Why don't you help me with this and then I'll come with you."

Vegeta considered this for a moment before he accepted the deal and took the shirt. Gohan showed Vegeta how to hang the shirt on the line and soon they were both busy with the laundry. "Interesting how humans can manage without instant dryers." Vegeta stated.

"I think humans do have some form of dryers. But we don't have the money for it." Gohan responded.

"You have connections to the richest company in the entire universe." Vegeta responded. "You're richer than the richest person on this planet."

"We don't need a dryer." Gohan stated. "We don't need anything from the army."

"Stubborn." Vegeta observed.

Gohan grinned as he looked to his former master. "That's why you like me, isn't it?"

"Hmm." Vegeta grabbed a wet shirt. "Like is a very strong word."

"Well, you don't dislike me then."

"That's better."

Gohan's grin faltered as he noticed that the basket was now empty. "Alright. I'll tell my mom that I'm leaving for a couple hours. I'll be right back." Vegeta only nodded in return so Gohan decided he was dismissed.

While they were flying, Gohan glanced to his former master. "Okay, so, I think a forest would be a proper place for you. Far away from civilization."

Vegeta agreed. "Somewhere around here?"

Gohan hesitated. "Maybe a forest further on." He suggested.

The Saiyan prince glanced sideways and a smile appeared on his face. "Too close to your house?" He slowed down to a stop.

Gohan followed his example. "Exactly."

"Consider this then; do you really want to fly for over an hour on a daily basis?" Vegeta asked.

"On a daily basis? Do you really think I will agree to daily trainings?" Gohan returned easily. The two were still floating in the air above the forest. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining brightly above them and a gentle breeze made the air comfortably cool. Gohan felt like planet Earth was welcoming him back.

"Maybe not immediately. But once you've spent a couple of months slacking off and I've become stronger than you, I will definitely force you to do so." Vegeta didn't back off that easily.

Gohan recognized the threat in Vegeta's words. The man basically told him to make sure Vegeta wouldn't get the upper hand again. Once Vegeta did, the man would be in control of the half-saiyan again. And this was not something the youngster wanted to happen.

"Fine. I guess you can settle here." Gohan didn't wait for an answer as he allowed his body to fall down to the ground. He slowed down just a little bit right before he landed so that his feet could touch the ground gently. Vegeta was right behind him.

They spent some time walking around trying to find the perfect place. They finally found a perfect area. It was near a clearing but still under the trees. Also, a stream was nearby. Perfect.

"You want me to start cutting down some trees?" Gohan asked.

"Why?" Vegeta was reaching into a pocket as he asked this.

"For your house."

"No need." Vegeta retrieved a capsule from his pocket. "Bulma gave me this. She said it was a small price to pay if it would guarantee getting me out of that house."

Gohan watched with awe as Vegeta tossed the capsule into the clearing and a house appeared out of the smoke. "Amazing." Gohan whispered as he followed Vegeta to the house.

The house was small but comfortable. A tiny living room with a kitchen corner greeted them. Gohan could see two doors. One led to a small bedroom with a large bed in it and the other led to a small bathroom.

"You don't even need me for this." Gohan stated. "Why did you ask me to come along?"

Vegeta shrugged. "I figured we could train."

Gohan grinned. "Why am I not surprised?"

And so they trained for a while. After a couple of hours, Vegeta decided to go to capsule corp. to pick up Stirania. Gohan agreed to awake a fire while his former mentor was gone. Stirania approved of the place. She seemed eager to move into the house with Vegeta.

While Gohan and Vegeta went to hunt for some food, Stirania started to prepare pots and pans they received from Bulma so that they could start to prepare the food once it was caught. Gohan offered to catch some fish. He returned from the water with a large bucket filled with fish. Stirania tossed him a towel.

Stirania eyed the half-saiyan up and down and she tilted his head sideways. "I wouldn't mind if you came to live with us too, Gohan. I really wouldn't mind if you kept walking around like this."

Gohan could help but smile in response as he dried off his torso. "Don't get your hopes up."

"Oh, I'm already way passed hoping." Stirania chewed on her lip after she said this. Her long dark hair was tied up in a braid and she now pushed a lose hair behind her ear.

"I hope you're not flirting with someone half your age." Vegeta was carrying the body of a large bear over his shoulder. "Polygamy is not a thing on planet earth."

"Oh dear. If only that would be possible." Stirania sighed dreamily.

Gohan and Vegeta exchanged glances. The half-saiyan decided to get back into his shirt quickly. The threesome prepared their food and enjoyed it afterwards. Gohan went back to his house soon after this so that he could meet up with his mother before he went to bed. Vegeta and Stirania withdrew to their house to celebrate their first night together in their new house.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

One year later, Gohan and Vegeta were tied up in an intense match.

Gohan just about dodged the punch thrown by his former master. The half-saiyan tilted his head sideways to avoid getting hit and he could not help but let out a sigh of relief. Man, how was it even possible that Vegeta could still get so close to hitting him? The bridge between their powers was quite big but still Vegeta could sometimes lure Gohan into a trap. This really showed that Vegeta was more experienced than him. Vegeta was still a better tactical fighter and though Gohan learned a lot from his former master, the Saiyan prince still had somewhat of an advantage over the younger warrior.

However, the advantage was not big enough for Vegeta to actually win these matches. Gohan narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on the eyes of the Saiyan prince. Predicting someone's movements became easier over time, especially when fighting someone every single day. There. Gohan was just pushing away a punch from Vegeta when he realized his opponent was already halfway into throwing a kick. Vegeta's leg was tensed and ready to move up, which meant he was neither planning nor ready to lower his leg. Setting his sights on Vegeta's other leg, Gohan allowed his body to drop down and he extended his own leg to swipe Vegeta's right leg from under him. Vegeta was already somewhat unsteady on his feet as his left leg was in the process of moving up to kick the half-saiyan and he couldn't help but fall down.

Vegeta used this fall to try to bring his fist down on Gohan's head. Still in kneeling position, Gohan moved his hands up to catch Vegeta's punch. Meanwhile, Vegeta used his energy to lift his body up in the air and he tried to knee Gohan in his face. The half-saiyan allowed his body to fall back and he brought his knees up to return the favor. Vegeta blocked the attack but he didn't see Gohan's tail coming. The tail smacked him across his cheek, leaving a fiery red mark on his flesh.

The two jumped apart to take a moment of rest. Vegeta pressed his lips together as he felt the burning sensation on his cheek. Gohan's tail waved behind him cheerfully as he surveyed his former master.

In a way, it was strange to battle with Vegeta in this way after the life they had lived for several years. When Gohan was only eleven years old, he was kidnapped by Vegeta and forced to join the largest army in the universe. Vegeta first brought Gohan in as his personal slave. Gohan still remembered the difficult life he had as a slave. He remembered having to obey to Vegeta's every whim and working for days on end without proper food or sleep.

As the years went by Gohan started to get used to working in the army. He worked hard and earned small promotions over time until he eventually ran the army alongside Vegeta. Everything went great until Gohan found out Vegeta was planning to lure his best friend Tobney into having an arranged marriage. Gohan struggled with the situation as he was supposed to be loyal to both Vegeta and Tobney and he could not be both. After the arranged marriage, Tobney persuaded Gohan into rebelling against Vegeta's leadership. The two plotted a rebellion in secret. With the help of Sianna, a rebellious female slave and one of the best friends, they managed to pass messages to those soldiers more loyal to Gohan than to Vegeta. These soldiers were mainly slaves whom got to be soldiers because of Gohan. They received their freedom because of the half-saiyan and were therefore more loyal to the half-saiyan.

The rebellion succeeded. Tobney took over the army and Vegeta was banned from the army. Vegeta asked to be sent to planet earth. Tobney was hesitant but Gohan didn't mind so the two Saiyans were brought to planet earth.

Getting used to the new type of relationship between them was strange but pleasant, mainly for the half-saiyan. Gohan was now allowed to do pretty much anything he wanted. When he was a slave, Gohan was not allowed to even talk back to the Saiyan prince. Now, their relationship depended heavily on their power which meant that Gohan was higher in status. And the half-saiyan enjoyed that greatly.

The half-saiyan smiled as he gestured for Vegeta to attack him once more. The Saiyan prince returned the smirk before he made the exact same gesture to the half-saiyan. Gohan shook his head. "It's your turn to attack."

"Nah, you're better at defensive fighting." Vegeta responded. "That's why I like seeing you on the offensive tour."

"Can't handle me when I'm on my best?" Gohan returned.

"You're the one who is hesitant to start the next round."

Gohan eyed his opponent for a moment. Oh well, Vegeta could win another round if it would make him happy. Gohan had already won enough rounds to get the prize for today; a massage from his former master.

"Let's do this."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Do we approve of this?" Tobney's blue eyes were focused on the group of warriors that was standing on the other side of the room.

The group mainly consisted of young warriors and they were all focused on the one female of the group. Sianna's cat-like eyes were shining as she gave advice about their training.

Itoro studied the group. "They do dote on her, don't they? Why is that?"

"She's strong, independent and has a good physique. It all comes with the territory of being in the elite warrior team." Suno responded. The man crossed his gray arms over each other. "That doesn't mean we should allow it."

"Exactly. Follow me, gentlemen." Tobney beckoned for them to follow him with a wave of his arm. The warriors approached the group of youngsters. The younger warriors noticed their approach and they all bowed respectfully. The only person who didn't bow was Sianna. She still found it difficult to show respect to other people.

"Good day, soldiers." Tobney stated as a greeting. "I seem to be under the impression that this room is for training purposes but you all seem to be having a tea party."

"We're just discussing our training, sir." Sianna responded easily. "Don't you always say it's good to discuss the training in order to spot weaknesses in your own fighting-style?"

"I do. Still, these discussions can take place outside the training room. So why don't you all go do that?" Tobney responded. "Get lost."

The soldiers all seemed worried as they nodded and started to leave, bowing in respect and greeting Tobney and the rest of the team. Sianna rolled her eyes but she turned to leave with the rest of the group.

"Sianna, where do you think you're going?" Tobney called over after she'd taken a couple of steps.

"You told us to leave." Sianna complained as she turned to look at Tobney. The rest of the soldiers waited for her in silence.

"I told your fanclub to leave." Tobney responded. The man now looked to the younger soldiers and he frowned. "Why aren't you gone yet?" He snarled at them. The soldiers quickly walked away after this. Meanwhile, Tobney beckoned Sianna. The female stepped closer to the group and she crossed her arms over each other.

"My fanclub?" Sianna stated. "So, that's what this is about?"

"Why are you always surrounded by men?" Tobney complained. "Every time I enter a room you are standing in a new group of them."

"This is an army." Sianna responded easily. "There tend to be a lot of men here."

"Lay off the sarcasm, missy." Comora interjected. He always felt that Sianna was way too comfortable around Tobney. She was supposed to show more respect but Sianna seemed to be unable to pay the proper amount of respect to her superiors.

"Honestly, you should stop making such a scene every time you see me with a couple of guys." Sianna stated, frowning to Tobney. "The same goes for all of you." She uncrossed her arms to point at her comrades. "Having to live with you guys is horrible. It's like having six older brothers. You always try to intervene when I'm having fun."

"Having fun with other guys? Is that what you want?" Tobney returned. "You should be focusing on your training. You're still the weakest soldier in the elite team. Honestly, you shouldn't even be in the elite team on your level. You should be in a class 2 team. We're cutting you all kinds of slack."

"This isn't about my strength. This is about Gohan." Sianna snarled back. Tobney's expression changed but he didn't respond. "Gohan left us, Tobney. He left me. Planet earth was more important to him. Am I supposed to wait around for him to come back?"

"No, but you can wait a little before you dive into the next relationship." Tobney returned weakly. He knew he was not being fair. He knew he couldn't expect Sianna to stay chaste forever. Still, Sianna moving on meant that Tobney had to move on too. He didn't want to do that just yet. He wasn't ready.

"It's been a year." Sianna said in a raised voice as she spread her arms.

"Don't raise your voice against lord Tobney, Sianna." Suno chastised.

Sianna looked at him and let out a groan. "This is what I mean. You're not my older brothers or my fathers. You guys have nothing to say about me."

Tobney frowned. "Now that's where you're wrong. I am still the leader of this army and since you chose to stay here and be a soldier, you have to obey my orders."

"I helped you get there, remember?" Sianna returned. She stepped closer and knocked against his broad chest with her knuckles. "I instigated the idea in you. You wouldn't be where you are if it wasn't for me."

Tobney could feel the familiar tingle of amusement Sianna tended to instigate. He was reminded of their battles back in the days. He remembered their constant bickering. The pranks they played on each other. The war went on for years until Gohan and Sianna started their relationship. Maybe it was time they returned to better times.

Tobney grabbed Sianna's fist, covering her smaller hand easily with his larger fingers. He tightened his grip when she tried to pull away. "You're right." He stated. "However, I am your superior now. So, after all these years, you still have to do what I say." His smirk instigated a surprised expression on her face. The lights in her eyes showed that she realized exactly what he was reminiscing about.

"Suno and Itoro." Tobney stated loudly now. He still held Sianna's fist as he turned around, making her step closer and next to him. "I think it's time we take Sianna's training to the next level." He could feel Sianna's eyes burning into his skull but he ignored her. "Aside from the trainings we have together, why don't you also help her work on her weight training from now on?"

Suno grinned as he surveyed his master. "Make sure she's too tired to meet up with any guys, you mean?" He responded.

"You read my mind." Tobney returned the grin and he released Sianna's hand in favor of giving her a push against her back. She was forced to step closer to the other warriors. "For now, let's make sure this is one of the toughest training sessions she's ever had."

Sianna turned to look at Tobney. The man was surprised by how powerful she looked as she was surrounded by the group of tall muscled warriors. "So that's how you're going to do it now?" She complained.

"Welcome to the Suta Team, Sianna." Tobney made an extravagant bow. "I think it's time we stopped cutting you all sorts of slack." He smiled when the rest of the warriors agreed. Sianna glanced around her, frowning.

"Let's get this training started."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Planet Earth.**

"Ah," Gohan let out a sigh as he leaned back against the tree, "these days, I understand why you always wanted me to massage your feet." The young warrior couldn't help but grin as he enjoyed the sight. Vegeta sitting in front of him with Gohan's feet on his lap. "It's so… satisfying."

Vegeta met his eyes. "Just wait until I win a match. Then you'll have to massage my entire body. By the gods, I miss those full body massages you used to give me."

"Hmmm. Too bad you'll never feel it again." Gohan returned easily. "But you gave me an excellent idea for your next punishment."

"Who knew you would be so vindictive." Vegeta drawled as he gently applied pressure on Gohan's foot. "You spend way too much time trying to find ways to pay me back for everything I ever did to you. It almost sounds as if you are still hurt by what I did."

Gohan scoffed. "Who says I'm trying to get back at you? It almost sounds as if you feel personally targeted by the punishments I give you. I recall that they were your idea."

They were actually Gohan's idea but the half-saiyan managed to make it seem like Vegeta's idea. It was not too long ago that Gohan suggested they were taking it too easy during their trainings. He mentioned that they didn't have anything real to fight for and therefore they tended to put in less effort to defeat each other. Vegeta suggested creating some sort of punishment system. The person who lost a match would have to fulfil one task decided on by the winner. This was exactly what Gohan hoped for. And Gohan tended to beat Vegeta during every match since Gohan was still stronger than Vegeta. It was not the first time that Vegeta had to massage the half-saiyan.

Stirania smiled as she approached with a bunch of wood in her arms. "Ah, Vegeta lost again, I see." She stated as she studied the scene. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders as she placed the branches on the ground.

"What else is new?" Gohan returned easily.

"It won't be long before the roles will be reversed, Gohan. Enjoy this for now." Vegeta said.

"I would leave the dreaming for the ones who can actually fulfil them, Vegeta darling." Stirania teased before she sat down to start a fire. Her blue eyes met his dark eyes and she smiled.

Gohan chuckled amusedly. He was still grinning when Vegeta glared at him. "With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Vegeta complained. The man noticed that Gohan was still silently laughing so he gave a nasty pinch in Gohan's toe.

The half-saiyan was not impressed in the slightest. "Ouch," He stated in mock terror, "someone is especially touchy today."

"You're especially annoying when you're happy, brat." Vegeta complained as he turned his attention back to Gohan's feet.

"Thank you." Gohan smiled before he leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. The two warriors were silent for a while as they listened to the sounds of the fire crackling to life.

"How are your studies coming along?" Vegeta asked, interrupting the silence.

Gohan opened his eyes and he shrugged. "It's difficult. I'd forgotten how smart humans have to be."

"You're not stupid though. You should be able to keep up well enough."

"Aww, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Gohan teased.

"You get very sassy when you're nervous, kiddo."

Gohan held Vegeta's gaze for a moment before he let out a sigh. Vegeta could still see right through him. The young warrior's smile faltered as he shrugged once more. "I'm failing the subjects. I'm failing all of them. I just don't know how to keep up. I knew I was behind but I cannot even keep up with the 16-year-olds."

"You missed a lot of school years." Vegeta suggested. "Remember, you left school when you were 11 and you came back when you were seventeen."

"And I graduated from primary education within a couple of months." Gohan responded. "I don't understand why getting the secondary education diploma is taking me so long."

"You're only 19. Don't be in such a hurry." Vegeta said. "I honestly don't even understand why you want to graduate from secondary education. You have all you'll ever need here. Food, shelter, someone to play with. What else could you wish for?"

Gohan smiled as he lowered his gaze. "I wish I could think in the same way." He responded. "I just really want to get the diplomas… I want to achieve these goals just because I can. I want to prove something to myself."

"Just make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard." Vegeta responded before he looked over to Stirania to discuss the dinner plans. Gohan was generally expected to join them for dinner whenever they had an afternoon training. The half-saiyan closed his eyes again. He tended to feel tired and hopeless these days. Then again, his mother did tell him that was quite a normal state for a human to be in.

Vegeta continued the massage for ten more minutes before he decided Gohan had enough. "Alright. The sun will be up for a couple more hours. The weather is nice enough. Wanna eat outside?" He suggested as he looked to the other two.

Gohan and Stirania voiced their agreement. "Good." Vegeta continued. "Gohan, want to help me hunt something down?"

"Yep." Gohan got up and stretched his limbs for a moment while Vegeta turned to Stirania.

"Could you try to gather some apples from the trees?" Vegeta asked.

Stirania smiled and nodded. Gohan grinned at Vegeta. "I'm so proud of you." He teased. The man gave him an annoyed glance. "No, I truly am. You just asked us for our help so politely. You've come so far."

"And I will kick off your head just as easily." Vegeta threatened in return. "Now get going before I follow through on that threat."

Gohan wiggled his finger at Vegeta. "Now that reduces your points." He returned easily. He was not impressed with the threats at all.

The Saiyan prince took a deep breath to calm his anger. Oh, how he wished he could show the youngster his place once more. There was a time Gohan wouldn't dare to even look at him funny. These days, the half-saiyan appeared to enjoy pushing Vegeta's buttons. And he was getting good at it too.

"Gohan," Vegeta stated calmly, "why don't you go ahead and I'll follow you."

"Hmm, turn my back on you so you can stab me in it?"

"I can dream, can't I?"

"You would dream of stabbing me in the back?" Gohan showed a very innocent expression. His eyes went bigger and he pouted while his tail waved behind him playfully.

"I have dreamt much worse. The air on planet earth does wonders for my creativity." Vegeta deadpanned.

"It's always good to hear how fond you are of me." Gohan said cheerfully. "Now we're even together in your dreams."

"Just get going." Vegeta snarled in response. Gohan laughed in return but he decided to humor Vegeta and he turned to leave.

Stirania gave Vegeta a smile when the man looked at her. Vegeta rolled his eyes at her. "Brat should have died a long time ago."

"It's good to have him around. His presence relaxes you." Stirania responded. Gohan had already disappeared into the shadows of the woods.

Vegeta blew out a sigh. "Relaxing, sure. He'll relax me right into the nuthouse." He responded. Stirania shrugged before she turned to search for an apple tree. Vegeta's gaze went to the fire as he thought about the half-saiyan.

In a way, Vegeta expected that Gohan would want to break his friendship with Vegeta once they were on planet Earth. It seemed like it during the first few months. Gohan refused to train with Vegeta, at least not as often as Vegeta wanted. The youngster preferred to focus on doing earthly things such as school. After a couple of months, Gohan started to visit Vegeta and Stirania more often. The two trained more often and Gohan quite often spent the night in their hut before leaving for his own house in the morning.

Vegeta didn't mind. He wasn't particularly fond of the half-saiyan but he did feel that they needed each other to stay sharp. Only Gohan could challenge Vegeta and he was sure that he presented the same challenge to Gohan.

"Seriously?" Vegeta was distracted from his thoughts by Gohan's voice. The half-saiyan threw the corpses of a lioness and a zebra on the ground. "You're not even going to attempt to catch something? What is it? Getting too old?"

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and turned to the half-saiyan. "Don't worry. I plan on brining a very useless but hopefully delicious hybrid to the table. The taste won't matter too much. Just the kill will do." He responded.

Gohan noticed the glint in Vegeta's eyes. "You'll have to catch me first, grandpa."

"Challenge accepted." Vegeta stormed at the half-saiyan. Gohan laughed before he disappeared in the woods. Vegeta wasn't too far behind him.

"Don't forget to hunt some food down too!" Stirania called after them. She blew out a sigh as she dropped a load of apples on the ground. "It wouldn't be the first time."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Please review and let me know what you think!**

 **Next time:**

"When are you planning on telling her we're not actually going to the leisure planet but we're going to planet earth?" Comora asked.

"I want to surprise her." Tobney responded.

"You want to put Gohan right in front of her nose and see how she reacts?"

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Calm down, guys. Let him breathe. I would be shocked to see your ugly mugs again too." Tobney stated. Gohan now noticed his best friend and he quickly got up. The half-saiyan grinned as he ran to Tobney and the two threw their arms around each other.

"Tobney, I've missed you so much." Gohan stated as he hugged his friend.

"I've missed you too, Gohan. You don't know how much." Tobney whispered in return. The man held Gohan by his shoulders and now gently maneuvered Gohan to take a couple steps back. "Now, let us take a look at you." He stated.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"You look fit for a normal human but you're a warrior. And an elite one at that. You're supposed to be in perfect shape." Vegeta said. "I think this trip will be good for you. Toughen you up."

"Yes, cause that's what I need. Toughening up." Gohan muttered in response.

"And you need to persuade Tobney to take me along too." Vegeta added.

Gohan chuckled. "Of course. Why not? That's just what I need. You egging Comora and the others on."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"So, how is everyone?" Gohan curled his arms over each other under his head to use them as a makeshift pillow.

"How is Sianna, you mean?" Tobney glanced to his best friend. He smiled when Gohan met his eyes. "She's…just great." His amusement faltered as he said this.

Gohan's mouth twisted into a smile as he studied his friend. "She's giving you trouble, isn't she?"

"Sianna," Tobney stated as he took a breath, "finds it difficult to accept authority. Apparently, she doesn't even listen to the leader she appointed herself."

 **Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Past Comes To Visit

**Hey guys. It's been a while since I updated a chapter. This is mainly because I wasn't happy with this chapter. I'm still not happy with it but I just can't put my finger on what is bugging me. So I'm just going to post this chapter and move on.**

 **Hope you like it ;)**

 **Chapter 9. The Past Comes to Visit.**

Gohan leaned back on his seat, yawning broadly. His training with Vegeta went way too late last night. And he had his first class very early this morning. The young warrior yawned again.

"Didn't sleep?" A young woman with long black hair slid into the seat next to him.

Gohan leaned on his desk with his lower arms. "I stayed up too long." He responded truthfully.

"Studying or training?" Her blue eyes focused on the half-saiyan.

"Training." Gohan blew out a sigh. "My trainer got a little carried away." Vegeta refused to stop before a winner was declared and it actually took Gohan a lot of effort to defeat the man. The youngster spent the next couple of hours in bed worrying about this. Was he actually weakening?

"I don't understand why you train. You're already the strongest of the class." She complained. Gohan was actually the only person she could not defeat. It was the reason they were friends.

"I don't understand why you're in the academy at all." Gohan returned. "You're already a recognized vigilantly. There's no reason for you to get a badge."

"I know." She sank back in her seat. "But I prefer to actually earn something while I beat those suckers up."

Gohan could understand that. His mother wasn't too eager to hear that he wanted to be a police officer. She wanted him to work hard and become a doctor. Gohan wasn't really too keen on that idea though. He wanted to do something he was good at and he felt that he could give back to the planet by making sure everyone was safe. And he could do this while earning some money too.

He met Videl during the introduction week. She actually graduated from Orange Star High School a year ago but she took some time off to decide what is was she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She easily defeated the other cadets during the first training. Gohan still remembered how he watched her with interest. She seemed more confident than most cadets there. And her eyes were suddenly focused on him. She smiled as she motioned for him to come closer.

Gohan moved up his hand and shook his head to show that he wasn't planning on fighting her. Videl raised both her eyebrows as she spread her arms. "Have I got you scared?" She asked. The group fell silent as eyes moved to the half-saiyan.

Gohan realized this but his eyes didn't move from her gaze. The half-saiyan crossed his arms over each other as he shook his head once more. "I don't have anything to proof."

Videl stepped closer to him. She eyed his physique. His white t-shirt didn't hide anything. "You're obviously trained well. Come on." Her eyes moved up to his gaze as she stood right in front of him. "I'll go easy on you."

Gohan chuckled in response. "This is me going easy on you. Trust me." He stated before he turned and walked away. Videl chewed on her lip as she watched him walk away. She seemed annoyed at first but then she turned and walked back to the center of the circle to grab her stuff.

Gohan wanted to lay low. He didn't want to show that he could probably defeat them all easily. He wasn't planning on becoming the best cadet in the academy. That's why he didn't show off his strength. Yes, he tended to win the trainings but that's all he did.

Videl appeared to be interested in him though. She continued to challenge him. She seemed eager to fight him. Gohan didn't want to though. She was the best recruit at the moment. Defeating her would give him a certain status and he wasn't ready for that yet.

The introduction camp was not even halfway over when Videl sat down next to him one evening. The half-saiyan was sitting in front of the campfire. She pushed a beer in his hands and they toasted with their drinks.

"So, why won't you fight me?" Videl asked.

Gohan sipped from his beer. "Did you come all the way over here to ask me that?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I tried to challenge you several times and you rejected me every time. You look strong enough. Why do you not want to fight me?"

"Looks aren't everything." Gohan returned. "Besides, why do you want to fight everyone?"

"I'm a woman in a man's world. I've got way more to prove than you." She responded.

Gohan smiled as he lowered his gaze to the fire. Videl strongly reminded him of Sianna. His former girlfriend tended to say the same thing. His gaze was distant as he thought of his ex and his heart ached momentarily. "Don't worry." He stated. "I'm not that strong. I probably can't defeat you."

"Hmmm." Videl seemed to think this response over. "No, that didn't work." She added. Gohan raised both his eyebrows at her. "You're too confident. As you said, you have nothing to prove." Her eyes studied him. "I've studied you these past couple of days and one thing that I've noticed is that you're a nice guy. Total gentleman." She pointed to him with the neck of her bottle. "You don't want to fight me because you're sure you can beat me and you don't want to take my position as the strongest of the class away from me."

"Hmmm… People always tell me I'm easy to read." Gohan concluded before he took a sip from his drink.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Videl grinned.

"Not entirely." Gohan responded.

"Where am I wrong?"

"I'm not a gentleman." Gohan stated. "And I could care less about your position in our class. Still, I don't have to prove myself to you. So why would I put any effort into showing you how strong I really am." He got up after this and walked away. "Thanks for the beer."

"Your welcome." Videl scoffed as she watched him leave. The young woman sipped from her own beer as she looked back at the fire. Gohan didn't realize that his actions only stirred a new fire in her. A fire destined to prove to Gohan just how strong she really was.

As always, women tended to get the better of him eventually. During one of the numerous physical trainings, Videl managed to defeat her opponent once more and she got to choose her next victim. She smiled as her eyes made contact with Gohan right away. The half-saiyan leaned back on his hands. "Gohan. Come on." She used her finger to beckon him.

The trainer couldn't help but smile. Everyone seemed to know about their constant struggle to not train with each other. His blue eyes moved to the half-saiyan. He had to admit he was quite interested in the youngster too. Gohan was obviously one of the stronger cadets, if not the strongest one. He could see that after training the boy for just one week. If anyone could give Videl a good challenge, it was Gohan.

Gohan's gaze moved to the trainer. The man shrugged and motioned for Gohan to go to Videl. The rules were clear. Videl won so she could choose her next victim. The half-saiyan pressed his lips together as he got up. There was no getting out of it this time.

Gohan moved to stand opposite Videl. His eyes focused on her smug smile for a moment and he decided he may as well show her just how big this mistake was. The half-saiyan placed his feet steadily on the ground and bent through his knees a little. After this he moved up his arms and positioned them so that he would be able to catch any punch from her.

He could see the smugness in Videl's glance disappear as her eyes studied his form. She must have realized just how difficult it would be to get through his defense. The young warrior smiled in response. Well then. Let's get this party started. After training and sparring with the rest of the beginners, he was eager for an actual challenge. The youngster motioned for her to attack. He was a better defensive fighter so he may as well let her make the first move.

Videl took just one more moment to study his defense. Well then, she would have to create an opening by forcing him to block her attacks. Videl took two wide steps to cross the distance between them and she moved her fist up to attack the half-saiyan. Gohan easily blocked this punch. Videl's eyes sought for an opening but she was confronted with a wall. Her leg moved up to kick him but this kick was blocked as well. Her next two punches were brushed away just as easily and she found herself stepping back to create some distance. She needed to figure this out.

"Is it my turn now?" Gohan asked. He watched how she looked up shocked but he didn't let this stop him from attacking her. The half-saiyan crossed the distance between them within a second and he easily knocked her off her feet. The youngster kept his power level at a minimum as he didn't want to hurt her but he could estimate how much she could take based on his previous matches with Sianna and Solarus.

Videl crash-landed on the ground. She gasped as her lungs pushed out all the air inside them when she hit the ground. She was winded for a moment but she quickly got up again. How did this even happen? She didn't even see him coming. Videl wasn't the type of person to give up quickly. She launched at the half-saiyan again. This time she decided to attack from below. She threw a couple of the kicks in his direction but he blocked them all. She kept this up for a full minute, kicking and punching at him, but none of her attacks managed to land. Even as she bend through her knees and tried to use her leg to swipe his feet from under him, she widened her eyes as he just jumped up to avoid her. The half-saiyan allowed his body to fall back and he made a handstand to get back on his feet.

This flawless maneuver was met with applause from the crowd. The half-saiyan could feel the adrenaline run through his veins as he surveyed his opponent. He would have to meet up with Vegeta for an actual challenge soon. He would enjoy that.

Videl allowed her breathing to settle down as she studied her opponent. Gohan landed on his feet and instantly adopted a flawless defense. The young warrior allowed a smile to appear on his face. That's right. You don't know what you got yourself into.

"Alright!" The trainer clapped his hands as he stepped in between the two warriors. "That's great, you two. I'd said it's a draw."

"We're not done yet." Videl responded.

"A draw doesn't exist." Gohan complained.

The trainer gave the two a smile. "You've got the rest of your three years of education to finish your little brawl." He responded. "For now, let's see two others. Maxime, Anne, go ahead."

Gohan stood straight as he hesitated. He wasn't really planning on stopping. He wanted to finish this match. His gaze moved to Videl and he realized she was thinking the same thing. The two looked away from each other and headed for their individual places on the edges of the group.

After the training, Videl headed in his direction. "We will finish this fight. And I'll win."

Gohan couldn't help but grin in response. "I can't wait."

Videl returned the sentiment before she turned to respond to a call from one of the other students. Gohan chuckled. Oh dear, what did he get himself into now?

Back in the present, Videl leaned back on her seat. "Wanna train after this class?"

"Don't we have a class after this one?"

She shook her head. The teacher walked in and placed her books on the table before she moved to write on the smartboard. "Cancelled. You should check your message board more often."

"Why would I bother doing that if you can tell me all the relevant news?" He returned easily.

Videl scoffed. "Oh really? Well maybe I should just sto-…" She turned to look to the front as the teacher announced she was going to start the class.

Gohan gave Videl a sweet smile as he opened his book. She rolled her eyes but she was quiet as she was quite a motivated student. Gohan took a breath as he looked to the front of the class as well. He found it difficult to admit but he was quite happy right now. School was going well. He found a good friend in Videl. And he was training with Vegeta a couple times a week. He was doing well. Nothing could mess this up for him.

Right?

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Somewhere in Space.**

"Tobney!" A 28-year-old turned and smiled when he realized who was calling him. His eyes and irises were white with only two blue dots that indicated his pupils. The warrior had a ghostly-pale skin tone and dark blue short hair. Tobney watched as the younger woman approached him.

"Let me guess," Tobney started as she ran closer, "you want to know how much longer you'll have to wait until we reach planet Earth."

"Well, if you would tell me how to steer the ship and read the information, I wouldn't have to bother you with these questions." Sianna complained in return. The young woman's bright yellow eyes studied him as she crossed her toned arms over each other.

"Oh yes, that's exactly what we need. You'll steer us right into a black hole." Comora called as he walked closer from the entrance. His eyes were bright red and he had a turquoise complexion. The man's bright yellow hair was growing from his head, his neck, and upper back until it disappeared under his armour and black uniform.

Sianna rolled her eyes. "Maybe I would have done that back in the days but I have no intention to drive this current army into a black hole." She responded. Her hand brushed through her short dark brown hair. When she was still a slave in Vegeta's army, her hair tended to be long, running all the way down to her hips. Vegeta once shaved all her hair off to punish her. After that she realized that she didn't mind her hair short, especially as it didn't get in the way when she was training.

"Let's just say it's in the spirit of better safe than sorry." Comora responded. Sianna scoffed in response. The man placed his turquoise hands on his hips. "Where is everyone?"

"Late." Tobney responded. "As always. They can destroy entire planets but they cannot look at a watch."

"They can read the transcripts needed to steer the ship though…" Sianna said wistfully. Tobney couldn't help but smile as he looked to Sianna again.

"If only I could find someone willing to teach you how to fly the ship." Tobney stated.

"Maybe Gohan will!" Sianna suggested.

Comora laughed in response. "I'll bet he will. Man, I hope Gohan has learned how to say no to women on planet earth."

Tobney grinned in response. "I'll make sure to warn him. That's the least I can do."

"You guys all treat me like I'm such a horrifying devil." Sianna complained.

"You're a woman who is almost as strong as the strongest men in the universe." Comora stated. "That's pretty scary to me."

"Yup." Tobney agreed. The two men couldn't help but smile when Sianna let out an insulted sound. Sianna huffed and turned to the lavishly decorated and filled table.

"I'll just be over here when you are done being assholes." Sianna stated as she sat down at the table.

Tobney couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he watched her walk away. Comora stepped closer to Tobney. "I wasn't lying though. I always assumed that women couldn't measure up to men because they are just weaker. Sianna is proving that theory wrong. The thought that women could actually become stronger than men is quite terrifying."

Tobney shrugged. "I would place my life in Sianna's hands any day." He responded quietly. She didn't need to hear that.

"I would too but that life would be miserable if she would start calling the shots." Comora added as he shrugged. "Besides, when are you planning on telling her we'll be reaching planet Earth in only a couple of days?"

"I want to surprise her." Tobney responded.

"You want to put Gohan right in front and see how she reacts?"

"That's the definition of a surprise, yes." Tobney smiled as he studied Sianna. She now sat down at the table. "We've been a little hard on her recently. I want to do something nice for her."

"We haven't been hard enough on her. She still hasn't learned her place." Comora mentioned.

"All in due time, Comora." Tobney said meekly. The door opened and the members of the Suta Team arrived. "There you are! We were just getting ready to eat." He stated as a greeting. The members of the Suta Team all knelt down in respect for Tobney and Tobney allowed them to get up. The group gathered around the lavishly decorated table and they all sat down to enjoy a delicious dinner.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan was standing in the stream with the water up to his hips. He focused on the fish in the stream as she stood silently. His brown eyes narrowed just a millisecond before he struck. His hand returned into the open air with a fish in it. The half-saiyan quickly broke its neck before he tossed the fish on the coast.

Gohan brushed his shoulder-length hair aside before he looked down to the stream again. It wasn't long before he caught a second fish and this one joined its former brother on the coast.

A small pile of dead fish was patiently waiting his return when Gohan looked up. The twenty-one-year-old was distracted by a large power level. "What are you doing here?"

Vegeta and Stirania landed on the ground. Vegeta stepped closer. "I figured we could eat something and train." He stated. "You took care of the food. I'll take care of the challenge."

Gohan turned to face them as he stood in the water. "We trained yesterday."

"Correction, we trained three days ago."

"It's been three days?" Gohan tilted his head sideways as his mind went back to the last training. Vegeta may be right about this. The half-saiyan took a deep breath. "Fine. Turn around so I can get out of the water."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Why? It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"And I am definitely not turning around." Stirania grinned as she eyed Gohan's naked torso.

The half-saiyan gave Vegeta a pointed look and made a circular motion with his finger to tell Vegeta to turn around. The man rolled his eyes but obeyed the stronger warrior and told Stirania to help him carry the fish to the fire. Gohan made a face as he walked out of the water and grabbed a towel. The half-saiyan quickly dried his body before he put on his jogging pants and a black shirt.

The half-saiyan joined the other two. Vegeta was already roasting the fish above the fire. He offered one to Gohan as the half-saiyan did catch them. The youngster smiled in response before he dug into the food. He figured training wouldn't hurt. He'd been very busy with school these days and slacking off appeared to be quite easy. It was actually so easy that he noticed he was losing muscle fast. He often crawled into bed in the evening realizing that he hadn't done any training that day. And that was not good. A warrior of his level was supposed to train on a daily basis. Then again, he was not really a warrior anymore, was he?

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Near the Edge of The Milky Way**

"Are we on course?" Tobney was standing in front of the window, staring outside.

"Someone is in a hurry." Comora appeared at the younger warrior's side.

"Don't act like you are not excited to see them again." The young warrior grinned as he looked to his comrade. "I can't wait to see Gohan again, Comora. It's been years. He'll be a man now."

"He was already quite grown up when we left him." Comora returned casually.

"Nah, he was seventeen when we last saw him." Tobney responded as he shook his head. "He was still a boy. Now he's 21. He's all grown up."

"Hmmm… I'm sure you fancy yourself all grown up too then huh?" Comora teased, glancing sideways to the younger warrior.

"Well," The 28-year-old grinned at the older warrior, "managing the most successful company in the entire universe does make one feel quite grown up." Honestly, Comora was the only person who was allowed to address Tobney so informally.

"And you've been doing it very well." Comora said as he nodded.

"Thank you." Tobney's grin turned to a genuine smile.

To be honest, Tobney had worked very hard to get where he was now. Back when he just took over the company, nobody really thought that he deserved to be in charge. Especially the members of the Suta Team gave him a hard time. They figured that Gohan was the one who deserved to take over the company as Gohan defeated Vegeta. And they let Tobney know this too.

Tobney remembered how difficult it was to persuade the higher ranking soldiers to listen to him or even talk to him. However, with the help of Comora and Sianna, Tobney managed to stay confident and he realized that he had to put up a tougher front in order to lead the company. So he did. And he'd been ruling the company with an iron fist ever since then.

Tobney and Comora glanced back when a group of soldiers headed into the room. The Suta Team all knelt down in front of Tobney and Comora. "Suta Team reporting." Suno stated as he looked up to Tobney.

Tobney took a moment to look at his watch before he looked back to Suno and raised an eyebrow. Suno pressed his lips together for a moment. "I apologize for our tardiness, sir." He stated.

"Well, it's my fault for taking Comora away from you. He's always been the one to make sure the team arrives everywhere on time." Tobney stated in return. Comora couldn't help but smirk in response to this comment. "At ease. Come on, guys. I figured you would want to see planet Earth as we approach it."

The rest of the Suta Team got up and they approached the window. Tobney was already standing in front of the window as the rest of the group went to stand around him. The young warrior could feel his heart speeding up in his chest as planet earth came into sight.

"Aren't you afraid they got too used to the quiet life on planet earth, sir?" Suno asked as he looked to Tobney. "What if he says no?" His blue eyes studied the younger warrior curiously. The man had a gray skin tone and numerous pointy spikes on his head.

Tobney shook his head. "Gohan doesn't do well under quiet circumstances. I bet he'll be excited for the challenge."

"What if Vegeta wants to come?" Itoro asked. The man leaned on the control panel with his light-blue hands. His entirely black eyes studied the small planet.

"I'll be happy to teach him what it feels like to not get what he wants." Tobney returned easily, the smirk still present on his face.

"I don't think Vegeta will give in that easily, sir." Itoro responded. His gaze moved to the younger warrior. "Or did you forget what it was like to work with Vegeta?"

Tobney returned his gaze steadily. "Don't worry, Itoro. I certainly did not forget what it was like to work with Vegeta." Itoro opened his mouth to respond but Tobney raised his voice as he kept talking: "You seem to forget, though, that this time I am the one who decides who enter on my ship and who doesn't. And I certainly don't mind throwing people out into the vacuum if they bug me enough, do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." Itoro turned his gaze away from the younger warrior. Suno and Kaon gave weary glances at Tobney. Comora crossed his arms over each other as he glanced to the youngster. The thought of Vegeta still made Tobney's blood boil.

Comora pressed his lips together. "Still, it will be good to see both of them. As you said before, Gohan will be all grown up now. And I wonder how well they kept up their training throughout the years."

"Knowing Vegeta and Gohan, they are stronger than they've ever been before." Kaon added. "I can't wait."

Tobney grinned. "Me neither." The warriors behind the younger warrior all exchanged glances. Suno couldn't help but smile. Itoro rolled his eyes and slowly shook his head at Tobney's excitement. Comora placed a hand on Tobney's shoulder and gave the younger warrior a gentle squeeze.

The warriors were all silent as they watched planet earth get closer and closer.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"It's too hot to study." Gohan complained as he placed his book on the ground. He was leaning against a tree with his back. The tree provided enough shade for them but it was still quite hot.

"It's too hot for anything." Videl agreed. She yawned and stretched out her arms before she leaned back against the tree as well. The two were seated next to each other as they studied. "Why are they making us study while there's a heatwave going on?"

"I guess they cannot give us a week off just because we're practically burning alive." Gohan added.

"Hmmm…" Videl's eyes closed as she lowered her book to her lap.

"You're not going to sleep, are you?"

"I'm just closing my eyes for a bit." Videl responded. "Keep studying and tell me what I've missed when I wake up."

"Great. You're letting me do all the work." Gohan complained meekly.

"That's what I keep you around for, don't I? Now be a good boy and do as I say."

"Bully." Gohan muttered as he looked back down to his book.

"Don't make me steal your lunch money too."

Gohan couldn't help but smile in response as he stared at the words on the page. The young warrior could swear they were now dancing around on the page, escaping from his eyes. They definitely didn't want to settle in his mind. The young warrior leaned his head back against the tree he was leaning against. He closed his eyes, slowly breathing in and out. The young warrior could feel his mind wandering. Man, he was tired. And this heat wasn't helping. Maybe resting his eyes for a moment wasn't that bad an idea.

Gohan was somewhat stirred from his slumber when the weight of his book disappeared from his lap. Gohan attempted to drift back to sleep when a voice disturbed him.

"You're not very vigilant. Did you forget everything I taught you, Gohan?" The gruff voice stated.

"I'll be up in a second, Comora." Gohan muttered automatically. The young warrior then realized he was not supposed to hear Comora and he opened his eyes. "What?"

"I can imagine this book would bore you to sleep." Itoro stated as he flipped through the book.

"What the hell is this?" Suno was holding Gohan's mobile phone. "Is this humanity's new high-tech stuff?"

"And who is this little lady?" Comora leaned over Videl, who was still asleep, to study her. "Already got a girlfriend, Gohan?"

Gohan's mouth was wide open as he tried to figure out if he was still dreaming or actually awake.

"What are you wearing?" Kaon asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger warrior. "Well, speak, or did you lose your voice?"

"Calm down, guys. Let him breathe. I would be shocked to see your ugly mugs again too." Tobney stated. Gohan now noticed his best friend and he quickly got up. The half-saiyan grinned as he ran to Tobney and the two threw their arms around each other.

"Tobney, I've missed you so much." Gohan stated as he hugged his friend.

"I've missed you too, Gohan. You don't know how much." Tobney whispered in return. The man held Gohan by his shoulders and now gently maneuvered Gohan to take a couple steps back. "Now, let us take a look at you." He stated.

Itoro, Suno, Kaon and Comora followed his example as they all started to circle the younger warrior. Gohan rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over each other. The young warrior was feeling exceptionally meek as he did miss these people greatly.

"Not too shabby…" Comora stated. "It took a couple of years but you're finally starting to look like an actual man."

"Assuming your balls have dropped by now." Kaon added from the other side. Gohan glanced back as Kaon spoke but his attention was taking by Tobney quite quickly.

"You look skinnier than I remember." Tobney stated, sending the young warrior a smile.

"Yeah, I lost all my baby fat." Gohan returned easily.

"And is it me or does your skin look darker?" Kaon said as he tilted his head sideways.

"That's what the sun will do for you on this planet." Gohan said as he turned to look at Kaon.

"You look weaker. Have you let yourself go, Gohan?" Itoro continued from behind the half-saiyan.

"I agree. You definitely look weaker." Comora added.

"Why don't you challenge me and find out?" Gohan said as he uncrossed his arms and spread them.

"Not in this outfit!" Itoro returned. "It will be like fighting a medic."

"I still don't really understand what you're wearing." Kaon stated, tilting his head sideways.

"It must be some sort of hip human fashion." Comora responded, his eyes studying Gohan's white blouse and denim pants.

"Something all the cool kids wear." Suno added. "They can only wear it if they're cool enough."

"Or maybe something all the nerds wear." Tobney as he stopped walking. The rest slowed down as well. Gohan fully turned to Tobney now. "You were definitely acting like a nerd when we arrived here."

"And I was bored." Gohan responded. "School is boring."

Tobney grinned. "I'm glad to hear you say that." He responded as he stepped closer to the half-saiyan. "Cause we have a proposition for you."

"I thought I felt familiar presences." Vegeta landed on the ground and stepped closer to them. The other warriors all turned to look at the new arrival. Tobney pressed his lips together while he crossed his arms over each other defensively.

"Vegeta!" Comora approached Vegeta and the two exchanged a handshake. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Comora." Vegeta released his former second-in-command and looked around the group. "It's good to see most of you again. Most of you, that is." His gaze lingered on Tobney's stern gaze for a moment before he looked back to Comora. "What are you doing here?"

"Harassing me, apparently." Gohan answered before anyone else could.

"We're here for Gohan." Tobney agreed as he approached Vegeta. "So you can leave now."

Vegeta placed his hands on his hips and he studied the younger warrior for a moment. "You're in trouble." He stated as a smirk appeared on his face. Gohan widened his eyes and he looked to the others for confirmation but they weren't looking at him. "You have a situation you cannot handle and now you're here to ask for our help." Tobney's frown told him everything he needed to know. "You've had my company for only three years and you've already destroyed it!"

"Not entirely." Tobney stated before he turned his back on Vegeta. The Saiyan prince let out a disgruntled sound as Tobney did this. Tobney ignored the man and turned his attention to Gohan. The half-saiyan showed a serious expression as he studied his best friend. "Gohan, do you remember the problems we had when we were still working as elite soldiers? We got attacked several times by ships that disappeared afterwards." Gohan's expression changed in response to Tobney's words. "They finally declared war on our company. We've been fighting them for a little more than a year now but we're getting nowhere… So we decided to ask if you can help us fight."

"Me?" Gohan asked.

Tobney smiled. "We'll fight alongside you. But you're the strongest warrior in the universe and the entire universe knows it. Your name alone will already be a lot of help. You're the warrior who defeated Vegeta and freed the universe from his rule."

"I'm not sure what I can do, Tobney. It's not like I'm that much stronger than the rest of you." Gohan said hesitantly.

Comora chuckled, earning Gohan's attention. "Now don't get all insecure on us, Rookie." He said in a teasing tone.

"Or we would definitely know how to work through those insecurities." Itoro added, smiling. The tone in his voice made Gohan realize he was talking about the manner in which the Suta Team tried to help Gohan overcome insecurities in the past by making him live through whatever he feared. The memories were not very happy ones.

Tobney stepped closer to Gohan. "Ignore them. " He instructed. "I know what you're thinking. Please realize that you are definitely one of the strongest warriors in the universe. And you've worked hard enough to get there." Tobney placed both hands on Gohan's shoulders and he smiled to the younger warrior. "We definitely wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Just say yes." Vegeta said. "I know you will. You've been bored of the human life for a while now."

"I'm not bored of the human life." Gohan responded as he looked at Vegeta over Tobney's shoulder. His friend released him and turned to look at Vegeta too.

"No, you're right. You're just failing at human life." Vegeta returned easily. "Or is that not what you were complaining about just a couple of days ago?"

Tobney sent Gohan a questioning glance. The half-saiyan waved the topic away. "Don't ask. Vegeta's just being a jerk." The young warrior glanced back to Videl, who was stirring in her sleep.

"So?" Tobney asked, stepping closer to the half-saiyan. "What do you say?"

Gohan took a breath. "Well…" the young warrior glanced to the young woman sleeping on the ground, "I'm going to say no. I don't want to come with you."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Happy Christmas!**


	10. Chapter 10: Two Worlds Collide

**Hey you ;)**

 **Chapter 10. Two Worlds Collide.**

"No?" Tobney's arm fell to his sides. The rest of the warriors almost seemed surprised. As if they didn't expect Gohan to actually say no to their request.

This strengthened the half-saiyan's decision. He chose to stay on planet earth for a reason. He wanted to be here. He wasn't entirely sure what his former comrades were thinking.

"I don't want to come with you." Gohan explained. "I live on planet earth now."

"Yeah, but, aren't you eager for a break from this planet?" Tobney stepped closer as if he was going to try to reason with the half-saiyan. Gohan noticed the expression on his friend's face. Tobney was not happy with this answer. For a moment, the half-saiyan wondered if they were really planning on allowing him to say no to their proposal.

"Why would I?" Gohan shrugged. "This is my home planet. My life. I love it here." The half-saiyan noticed that Vegeta placed a hand on his own forehead but he ignored the gesture.

"You're such an idiot." Vegeta complained. "How could you turn this down?"

"I don't recall asking for your opinion." Gohan responded. The young warrior looked back to his best friend. "Tobney, come on. What did you expect? Did you think I would be thrilled at the aspect of re-joining the army in which I've been stuck for years?"

The leader of the army shrugged helplessly. "I'll admit I doubted you would want to join us. I just hoped…" He took a deep breath. "The army isn't the same as it was, you know. I've changed it to something different. I was hoping you would want to find out more about and maybe get involved in this new army."

"Well, you thought wrong." Gohan was suddenly very annoyed with his friend. "Now, I don't want my friend to wake up and see you all so if you wouldn't mind…" The half-saiyan made a waving gesture with his hand to encourage them to leave.

"Are you sending us away?" Itoro complained.

Tobney moved up to his hand to silence his subordinate. Itoro gave an annoyed huff but he didn't say anything else. He just frowned at the half-saiyan, similarly to the rest of the men. "Alright," Tobney stated, "I understand. You need some time to think about it. We'll get back to it later."

"I don't need time to think about it." Gohan responded.

Tobney chose to ignore this. "Let's go, guys." The rest of the group was silent as they all followed their leader.

"Hey!" Gohan called after them. "I'm not going to change my mind!" The group was already flying high up in the air and Gohan realized they were not going to respond to him.

Vegeta gave Gohan an annoyed glance. "What were you thinking?"

Gohan was not hesitant to snarl at his former master. The young warrior sent the man a glare. "Why don't you go away too?" He suggested. "Then all my problems will be gone."

Vegeta scoffed but he didn't say anything else and instead turned to leave as well. Gohan pressed his lips into a thin line as he watched them all fly away. He realized that Tobney implied that they would get back to this later. He just hoped they wouldn't be too intrusive as they were trying to convince him to join them.

Though, as he sat down next to the tree again, he realized that his former comrades were not necessarily good at not being intrusive. The half-saiyan took a deep breath as he thought about this. He was afraid the following day was going to be a tiresome day.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Focus, Gohan." Videl gave an annoyed huff after she managed to once again push through his defence.

Gohan couldn't help but rub over the painful bruise that Videl that punched onto his leg. Focus. That was basically the theme for today. The problem was that he couldn't focus. His mind was still going over what happened yesterday. He sort of expected his former comrades to randomly fall out of the sky and tell him to come with them. The young warrior had been on edge all day.

Several teachers told him to focus on the classes and now Videl followed their example. How was everyone so aware of the fact that he was distracted?

"I'm trying." Gohan responded. He brushed through his dark hair. The weather was warm today. No, it was hot. Gohan started sweating the moment he stepped outside. How was that even possible? The young warrior tried to convince Videl that it was too hot to train today but she brushed his comments aside and stated that they couldn't delay a training session because they didn't like the weather. Gohan figured that she was right.

Videl gave him a thoughtful frown before she stepped away and went for the two water bottles they threw on the ground earlier. She knelt down to pick the bottles up before she turned to walk closer to him. Videl was momentarily distracted by a bit of dirt on the bottle and she brushed the bottom of the bottle against her blue t-shirt in order to get it off.

"Alright," Videl stated as she handed the bottle to Gohan, "what is going on?"

Gohan accepted the bottle and he opened it to take a sip of water from it. He mainly did this to buy himself some time. Should he try to deny that there was something wrong? No, she would see right through him. People tended to do that. Tobney always said he was easy to read.

Videl followed his example but she kept looking at him as she sipped from her own drink. She was not letting go. The half-saiyan took a deep breath. "It's just…" How was he going to explain this properly? "Some people from my past contacted me last night."

"Your past?" Videl showed a confused expression. "Okay. Are they bad people?" Gohan hesitated in response to this question and Videl drew her conclusion from that. "Do you have a criminal past?"

"Not exactly."

"That's kind of a yes or no question. You either did or you didn't." Videl responded. "Or you don't want to admit it." She closed her bottle and now let it dangle from her hand. All her focus was on him.

"Regardless of my past, I don't want go back to that world." Gohan decided to fixate his attention on the problem rather than focus on the circumstances of the problem. "And they seem to want me to do just that."

"So, say no." Videl concluded.

"It's that easy?" Gohan couldn't help but smile. She made it sound so easy. Just say no. But it wasn't. Not for him.

Videl shrugged. "If you really don't want to go, it's easy. However, you appear to hesitate to say no. That may mean part of you wants to go with them. Now you just need to figure out why you want to go with them and how important that is for you." Videl threw her own bottle of water aside again. "Don't expect me to go easy on you if you decide to do something criminal. I'll throw you in prison with the rest of them." She concluded as she pointed to him.

Gohan chuckled. "Alright. Point taken." He responded. "Thank you for listening."

Videl made a waving gesture with her hand. "That's what they say friends are for, isn't it?" She stepped away again. "Let's keep training. See if you can focus now."

The two warriors got back in position and they started the training. Gohan was on the offensive now. He wanted to fight his anxiety away. The young warrior threw several punches at her and Videl hastily blocked all of them. His newfound ferocity only took her by surprise for a moment and she recovered quickly from it. It was her turn now. Gohan focused on her eyes to anticipate where she was going to hit next and he blocked her punches with ease.

Their training was tough. They both wanted to improve their skills and thus they did not go easy on each other. Their fists became red and irritated. Bruises appeared here and there whenever someone managed to get through the other's defence. Several hours later, they were both panting. Gohan was always surprised when he got tired from fighting at such a low power level. Videl always proved to be worthy opponent. She was a tactical fighter and this easily made up for her lacking power level. She was a challenge to defeat. And Gohan always liked a challenge.

Now that they stopped fighting, Gohan's senses became aware of something else. The young warrior widened his eyes and looked up just in time to watch as three warriors landed on the ground, surrounding the two fighters.

Videl gave a shocked gasp. "What the hell…" She looked up to the sky and then down to the men. What just happened?

Gohan frowned as he looked at the warrior. "What are you doing here?"

"Good day to you, too, Gohan. Did you sleep well?" Itoro responded without missing a beat.

"I will sleep better when I know you've left the planet." Gohan returned.

Itoro didn't seem insulted at all. He just showed a grin in response as he crossed his light-blue arms over each other. "You're always so quick to send us away. And we just arrived here. Where are you manners, Gohan?"

"What is going on, Gohan?" Videl asked quietly.

"Nothing." Gohan made a calming gesture with his hand before he looked to his former comrades again.

Videl successfully caught their attention by asking questions and she was addressed by one of the men. Suno eyed the young warrior with interest. "We saw you fight just now. Fiery, strong, bright eyes. I think we can establish you have a type, Gohan."

"She's a friend." Gohan ignored the manner in which the others voiced obvious disagreement to this comment. "So, what are you doing here? I'm not going to come with you." Gohan decided to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"We know." Kaon was the only one who hadn't said anything yet. "We just came here to spar with you."

"I'm sorry you came all the way over here just to be disappointed." Gohan responded. "I don't want to spar with you."

"No worries. We'll just attack you and you'll have no choice but to defend yourself." Suno returned. He stepped closer, earning Gohan's main attention.

"Or we'll attack the lovely lady and we'll basically get the same result." Kaon added helpfully.

Videl stepped towards him. "Try me." She snarled. "And get ready to eat dirt."

Gohan didn't like the smile on Kaon's face so he decided to interrupt this conversation. He stepped next to Videl to gain their attention. "Back off."

"Back off, he says as if he has any authority over us." Suno mocked. His blue eyes didn't leave Gohan's brown orbs. "Let me remind you that you chose to give up your title." His grey finger poked Gohan's chest. "You have nothing to say over us. So lay off the orders, okay?"

Gohan had enough of this quickly and he pushed Suno's arm away. "I have a power level that is higher than all of yours combined that says otherwise."

"Yeah, but you've never been good at fighting more than two opponents." Itoro gained Gohan's attention by speaking up. "That's why Comora always chose you for the four-against-one practices."

Gohan turned to Itoro fully as he made a confused face. "Really?" He asked. He always assumed Comora did that to tone his bratty attitude down. The trainings in which Gohan had to fight the entire team always resulted in a beating for the half-saiyan. He never realized Comora actually wanted him to practice and work on his weakness. The young warrior shook this thought off as he tried to refocus on the conversation.

"So, what's it going to be, Rookie?" Itoro continued. He emphasized the old nickname as he spoke. Gohan held Itoro's gaze in response to this comment but he wasn't sure what to say. The young warrior could feel the familiar tingle in his limbs. He realized that he wanted to go with them. He wanted to train and show them just how much he'd progressed.

Gohan tore his gaze away from Itoro's smug expression and turned to Videl. "I want to go with them." He stated as he stepped closer. "Come with us?" He said the statement as a question, hoping she would decide to come along.

Videl studied the warriors around her for a moment before she turned back to Gohan. The young student could feel an excitement run through her as she looked into his brown eyes. "Okay."

A grin appeared on Gohan's face. "Alright." He held out his hand to her and she took it. "Okay. Hold on tight. Do not let go." Gohan instructed. Videl only got a moment to give him a confused glance before she realized his body was levitating into the air. And he was taking her with him.

Gohan watched her expression carefully to see if she would panic but Videl only seemed excited as they moved up higher and higher.

"You can fly?" Videl gasped out as she looked downwards to the world around them.

"I can fly." Gohan confirmed.

"And he can do so much better than this." Itoro stated helpfully. "Come on, Gohan. Let's show her what we can do."

Gohan considered this for a moment before he looked to Videl again. "Okay. But you'll have to hold on yourself. Get on my back."

"I think her getting on your front would get better results." Suno teased from besides them.

Gohan ignored this as he helped Videl to crawl onto his back without letting go of her hand. They were up quite high. Her arms locked around his shoulders. "Hold on tight." He stated. He waited for the muscles in her arms to tense around him before he looked to his comrades. "Alright. Let's do this."

The warriors all powered up and accelerated forwards. The warriors used their energy to fly as fast as they could, propelling forwards so fast that the wind around them felt like a wall pushing them back. Still, they could hold on and keep up the fast pace. Videl laughed out loud as she felt the excitement run through her.

"This is amazing!" She whispered in his ear.

"I'm glad you like it." Gohan responded truthfully.

"Follow us, Gohan." Suno stated. "We know where to go."

"Alright."

Videl gasped as they turned sharply in the air. She could see the world flashing by beneath them. How could they fly so fast while in the air? They must even surpass the speed of airplanes. How was this even possible?

The journey didn't take long. The warriors flew high speed. Gohan realized how good that felt. He hadn't flown like this for a long time. He could feel the wind against his skin, the energy running through his limbs as if it was new there. The young warrior felt strong, invincible and he was excited to train with the others.

This excitement was somewhat dampened by the sight of the modest spaceship he was confronted with several hours later. The young warrior followed the rest of the group down to the ground. There, he crossed his arms over each other and gave his comrades a pointed look. Videl allowed her body to drop down to the ground and she landed on her two feet.

"What?" Itoro gave him an innocent expression. "This wasteland is perfect for sparring." He made a wild gesture to the land around them.

"And the fact that the ship is here is just a coincidence, right?"

Suno shrugged. "We figured you may want to chance your clothes before we spar." He explained. He eyed Gohan's white shirt and baggy black pants. "This looks more like a slave outfit."

Gohan crossed his arms over each other. "I like this outfit."

"Come on. Humour us, kiddo." Itoro was already heading towards the entrance of the small ship.

Gohan pressed his lips together. He glanced to Videl and realized he had momentarily forgotten she was there. He turned fully to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Okay. These guys are jerks." He stated. Videl gave him a surprised glance. "They tend to call people names or tease or bully them. Don't be bothered by it. They do it to everyone."

"Okay." Videl responded. "Don't worry."

The two turned to walk to the ship. Suno was waiting for them. The man gave them an innocent smile. "Did you warn her properly?"

"I know what you're like."

"As a matter of fact, we are very nice to beautiful women." Suno returned casually as he followed them to the ship.

"Yes, until they talk back to you." Gohan returned.

"Truer words were never spoken." Comora was leaning against the entrance of the ship. The man's red eyes studied the half-saiyan as they all walked closer. "Good afternoon, Gohan." He stated by way of greeting. "Good to see you here. And you brought a friend. It's good to see you again, my lady."

"Again?" Videl questioned. Gohan placed a hand on his forehead. How could Comora mess this up so quickly? "I don't remember meeting you before."

Comora noticed Gohan's reaction and figured the half-saiyan didn't tell Videl about their prior meeting. He put up his hands. "I'm sorry. Humans all look alike. I must be mistaken."

"Humans all look alike? That's kinda racist." Videl returned as he tilted her head. "You've met another girl who looks exactly like me? And what are you then? Aliens, right? I've never seen anyone like you. Why are you here? What does all this mean?"

Several eyebrows raised in response to Videl's questions. There was a brief silence after her last question. Suno glanced up to Comora. "Could you imagine how many questions would come from any offspring of these two?" He stated.

Comora chuckled in response. "I don't think there are enough questions in the world to accommodate someone like that."

Gohan scoffed in response. He tended to ask questions all the time and his former comrades always got annoyed with this tendency quite quickly. He realized that Suno was taking advantage of being able to tease both youngsters with just one comment.

While Gohan crossed his arms and had a glaring competition with Suno, his squad leader's bright red eyes focused on the young lady. "You're not even slightly put off by my appearance, are you?" He knew this young woman must have never seen anyone like him before. There were no humans with a turquoise skin tone, bright yellow hair and burning red eyes. How was she not impressed?

Videl shook her head. "Why would I? Does your appearance affect your attitude?"

"The fact that I'm twice your size makes me somewhat more confident, yes."

"It shouldn't. I've beaten men taller than you."

Suno grabbed Gohan's arm and pulled him away from the conversation. "Hey!" Gohan complained. "Wait… Videl's still there…"

"She can hold her own." Suno responded. The man pushed Gohan to Itoro, who gladly took over. The two warriors pushed and prodded Gohan to a dressing room. Kaon followed them into the room. The man leaned against the door and he smiled innocently when Gohan looked at him.

The half-saiyan blew out a sigh. So they were going to be like this? Gohan turned to look at Suno after he heard one of the closets open. "You're not even going to give me a choice?"

"Of course, we will give you a choice." Suno motioned to the closet. "Which uniform would you like wear?"

Kaon and Itoro couldn't help but smile in response. Gohan shook his head tiredly. He wasn't particularly annoyed but he wasn't looking forward to putting on a uniform either. The youngster realized that going along with his former comrades would make this go by faster and so he approached the closet to pick out a uniform.

He carried the dark-blue uniform to the closet in which he could find an armour and grabbed a basic beige one. The youngster placed the two items on a table before he started to remove his shirt. He was not surprised when the shirt was removed from the table not even a second after he placed it there.

"I don't understand why you insist on wearing these clothes." Suno held up the white shirt and studied it closely.

"That's what humans wear."

"You're not a human."

"Well, I could pass for one." Gohan was pulling the blue uniform up as he spoke to Suno. "Don't throw them away, please." He said when he noticed Suno was going for the pants he just placed on the table. "Clothes are not necessarily cheap. I don't have an unlimited pile of clothes."

"I don't see why not." Suno responded, frowning at him. "We left an account open for you. Last time I checked you have every right to tap into the company's money. You can buy anything you want."

Gohan made sure the armour was on right. "I don't want the company's money."

Suno made a face at Itoro, whom rolled his eyes in response. Kaon adjusted his footing and crossed his arms over each other. "Even if you're too good for our money, you should have visited the company's headquarters once in a while. Check in. Show us you're still alive."

"How do you know that I haven't visited the headquarters?" Gohan responded. He hadn't. He was aware of the headquarters on planet earth. The planet still had a treaty with the company as earth was still dependent on the solar energy the army provided to them.

Years ago, after Gohan was taken, Vegeta started to colonize planet earth. He initiated a process he'd begun quite often. They would visit the planet and offer them a solution to their energy problem. Vegeta would offer batteries that could charge right next to the sun. These batteries could empower an entire country for a year. He would offer help to change their systems so they could run everything on pure electricity. And the leaders would feel as if they saved their planet.

That was until Vegeta would start asking for payment. The planet would be dependent on the solar energy and it would pay. The people would do anything Vegeta said. That is what happened to planet Earth too. Tobney lifted the debt and made sure planet Earth was freed of having to pay the company. Still, the planet was running entirely on solar energy now. They still needed the company to maintain the process of changing the batteries every year.

Gohan knew where the headquarters of the company was. Tobney encouraged him to visit it once in a while so he could contact his former comrades. Gohan never really felt the need to do so though.

Suno seemed surprised by the question. He shrugged. "Tobney would have told us if you had."

"Still, I didn't think you cared." Gohan leaned down to grab a pair of white boots. He didn't notice the glances exchanged after this comment.

"We don't." Suno responded, frowning. "We just…. I don't know…" The man shrugged once more.

Gohan sat down to pull on the boots and he now looked up Suno. He felt confused as he studied the man. His older comrade seemed uncomfortable as he reached up to scratch one of the numerous spikes on his head. "Just what?"

"Well, you joined our team when you were just two inches high. Of course we would like to know whether or not you're still alive." Itoro snarled in response. "Geez, how thick did this planet's atmosphere make you?"

The half-saiyan wasn't any less confused after this. "I'm sorry." He responded. "I've been too busy." The air changed a bit after this. It was heavier. Gohan took a breath. "So…Where is Tobney?"

"Out." Kaon responded. "We're babysitting the ship."

"That's why we're so happy you're here." Suno said, happy with the change of subject. "Alright. This has taken long enough. Let's go!"

The young warrior returned from the dressing room only to find Videl was nowhere to be seen. Gohan wanted to go look for her but the rest of the Suta Team got in the way.

"Where are we going?" Kaon asked, tilting his head sideways. The three warriors successfully presented a wall between Gohan and the direction he wanted to go in.

"Videl is in there." Gohan responded. He could feel her power level. She was somewhere inside the ship. Though she did not feel particularly distressed, she was somewhere in there with Comora. He wanted to make sure she was okay.

"We want to train over there." Itoro pointed to the entrance of the ship. "Let's go."

Gohan held Itoro's gaze for a moment and he realized this was not going to work. The young warrior crossed his arms over each other and turned so that he could walk to the entrance. He waited for his former comrades to follow him before he suddenly turned around and burst right through them.

"Hey!" Suno called after him.

But Gohan was already too far gone to listen to them. He skidded to a stop just when a door in front of him opened. Videl appeared dressed in a soldier's uniform and armour. Her long black hair was tied together in a braid that fell down on the back of her blue uniform. Her dark armour was covering her torso and long spikes pointed downwards, almost touching upon her knees.

Comora appeared behind her, pleased with the outcome. Gohan's eyes ran along her appearance and he felt a sensation he could vaguely remember. He just didn't really know how to describe it just yet. Videl gave him a hesitant smile. "Comora told me I could try a uniform too. I was just curious. I feel it doesn't suit me."

"No, you look… amazing." Gohan responded.

"Thanks." Videl's attention was drawn to the rest of the group. The others just arrived and they now praised her appearance, telling her the armour suited her and that she should try out for the army.

Meanwhile, Gohan's gaze was drawn up to Comora. The man obviously had been studying his reaction and he now raised his eyebrow to the half-saiyan, a smirk settling on his face. You liked that a little too much, didn't you? - His gaze seemed to say. Gohan could feel his cheeks warm up and he looked away, turning to the conversation.

The warriors decided to move to the wasteland outside the small ship. Videl had a million questions about the ship, the army, Gohan's life in it, and the people she just met. Gohan promised he could tell her later. For now, he wanted to focus on the battle at hand.

"Do you want to join in?" Gohan offered as they stood outside the ship.

Videl considered this for a moment. "No, I feel like you guys are on a different type of level. I mean, you can do things such as flying. That's not something I can do. I just want to see what a fight between you guys is like."

Gohan nodded once. He figured that was probably best. The young warrior turned to the others. "Let's do this, guys."

The others were obviously eager to spar with Gohan again. They'd been training without the half-saiyan for years. They were eager to see how much he'd progressed. It was the same for the half-saiyan. Gohan could not wait to see how strong they'd become.

The match was messy and tough. Just the way they liked it. Gohan spent hours fighting them one by one, pushing his own limits as he tried to overpower his older comrades. He was brought back to the old days when he had to get stronger every day just to keep up with the growth of his comrades. He could feel the excitement. The exhilaration. The pain meant nothing as the goal to mess up his comrades was more important.

And, for the first time in a long while, he was having the time of his life.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan was just getting out of the shower when he felt a presence in his room. The young warrior spent hours training with the rest of the warriors. He'd forgotten how much fun it was to train with his former comrades. He'd forgotten the joy of smashing his fist into someone other than Vegeta.

All in all, he was quite pleased with the outcome of the match. Although he hadn't kept up with his training as much as he probably should have had, he was still stronger than the members of the Suta Team and even Comora. That was definitely a positive conclusion to make.

After a couple hours, they decided to call it quits. Gohan brought Videl back home and promised her he would call her later tonight to explain everything. He just wanted to go back home, take a shower and change out of his dirty armoury. She agreed to talk later.

"Sending in the big guns, are we?" Gohan stated as he switched his desk light on. His statement was directed at the young man sitting on the windowsill. Tobney's leg was gently swinging in mid-air as his other leg was bent so that it could fit in the windowsill.

The pale man appeared surprised by the question. "Me?" His blue eyes with only two tiny white pupils were wide for a moment as he spoke.

"Itoro, Kaon, Suno and Comora came back empty handed so you decided to see if you can change my mind yourself." Gohan explained as he turned to look at his best friend.

"Or, I just wanted to see you." Tobney returned.

"Your time is money these days, Tobney. You're the most important person in the universe now."

Tobney let out a chuckle in response to Gohan's words. "Hmmm, it's always good to hear someone else overestimate your own worth." He returned. Gohan raised an eyebrow at him in response. "Don't worry about it." He added after seeing Gohan's expression. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"You're already halfway in as it is." Gohan sat down on his bed. "But you're welcome to pull the other half of your body in my room as well." He didn't mind having Tobney around but he was somewhat hesitant to let his guard down as he was aware of Tobney's current mission. He was sure Tobney was here to try to convince him into coming with them.

Tobney swung his leg over the windowsill and dropped down into Gohan's room. The young warrior gave a look around. "Didn't change much to the room, did you?" The man looked at the pile of books on Gohan's desk. He picked one up and opened it to be confronted by a range of words and sentences he couldn't read.

"I'm still not used to having things that belong to me." Gohan's response made Tobney look up to him. Gohan wasn't saying that to gain attention. He was just being truthful. After not having anything for himself for years – not even control over his own life – it was difficult to get used to a life of freedom and ownership. Tobney guessed that Gohan didn't acquire anything because of his fear of how easily it all could be taken away from him.

Tobney closed the book and placed it back on the pile. His gaze moved back to the desk and it fell on a picture frame. The frame contained a picture of Gohan and Videl. She had her arm wrapped around his shoulders and her other arm was raised upwards only to disappear in the corner of the screen. Tobney assumed she was the one taking the picture as her invisible hand was probably holding the camera. Gohan appeared not too eager to take the picture but Videl was all smiles as she looked at the camera. Tobney picked the frame up and brought it closer so he could look at it better. A small smile appeared on his face as he studied the picture.

"She placed it there." Gohan explained. "She won't let me throw it away."

"And you listen to her." Tobney concluded as he looked to Gohan. The half-saiyan shrugged as if to say why not. "Do you like her?"

"She's a friend."

"Just like Sianna was a friend, right?" Tobney studied his friend with interest to see his reaction.

Gohan's eyes narrowed. "That teasing tone in your voice really makes me want to go back to the rest of all that." He stated.

Tobney couldn't help but grin in response. "Alright." He said, placing the frame back on the desk. "I'm sorry." He stepped crossed the distance between the desk and the bed and he fell down next to Gohan. "She's cute though. And strong. I watched you train. It's impressive."

"You watched us train?" Gohan frowned thoughtfully, wondering when this happened. Tobney shrugged innocently. Gohan couldn't blame him though. He knew Tobney was curious to see if and how much Gohan progressed over the years. Deep down, they were both warriors and they were always eager to find a new challenge and measure their own strength to others. "I'm not coming with you, Tobney." He stated now.

"Why not?" Tobney returned, easily falling into the conversation now that the pleasantries were over. "You've had your break. Now it's time to go back."

"It wasn't a break. I don't want to go back to the army. It's not my world anymore."

"Yes, it is." Tobney responded. "Gohan, you should see the army now. We've done it. The army is totally different now. We're protecting the weaker planets now. No planet has to fear being purged or attacked anymore. We're making the universe a better place."

Gohan smiled as he watched his friend talk. The manner in which Tobney's eyes shined as he spoke showed how much he cared about his work. It made Gohan feel proud of his friend, just for caring so much about something and working so hard to achieve it. "It sounds amazing, Tobney."

"It would be more amazing if you were there to see it too." Tobney responded.

"Not giving up, are you?" Gohan said.

Tobney shook his head. "Just join us for a little while. Help us on this war. Taking a break from your busy life here may be good for you." He added. "You could take your friend. Though Sianna might get jealous."

"How is she?" Gohan asked, his gaze lowered to the ground. He placed his hands behind him and leaned on them.

Tobney took a breath as he thought about the young woman. "Thriving." He responded. "Stubborn."

A smile appeared on Gohan's face as he looked to his friend. "She's been giving you trouble?"

Tobney shrugged. "You know how she is. Sianna has authority issues." The man blew out a sigh. "Apparently, she doesn't even listen to the authority she appointed herself."

"She won't listen to you?" Gohan wasn't even surprised to hear this.

"I think you're the only man in the entire universe who managed to tame her."

"Nah, she tamed me." Gohan returned easily. He thought about how his dreams were always about her. His life without her seemed meaningless. He couldn't live without her anymore.

"Well, whatever happened, she is the only person in the entire army who can talk back to me and get away with it. And she won't let me forget it." Tobney complained. "But that's probably good. I would get too stuck up if nobody put back me in my place once in a while."

"And she's definitely good at that." Gohan grinned. The half-saiyan now got a moment to study his friend closely. The young warrior noticed how much Tobney had matured. His friend now looked like a grown man. The youthfulness had left his face fully.

"Yeah, leading an army makes someone grow up quickly." Tobney stated suddenly. The half-saiyan suddenly noticed his best friend was looking at him from the corner of his eyes.

Gohan's eyes were wide for a moment before he scoffed. "Been practicing on your ability to read minds, huh?" He realized Tobney read his mind just now.

Tobney couldn't help but smile. "Yep, you should probably work on defending those thoughts once you join us."

"Once? Don't you mean 'if'?" Gohan returned.

Tobney didn't respond immediately but he got up and turned to look at his friend. "Let's train."

Gohan pressed his lips together. "I just got back from training. "

"I know. I hate that I missed out on that." Tobney complained. "I want to train with you too." He gave a wave to the world outside Gohan's window. "Come on. This planet is amazing. Let's do what we love on the planet you love."

The half-saiyan got up. "Well if you put it like that." He stated meekly. The young warrior followed his best friend out the window.

The two stood opposite each other for a moment as they studied each other. The half-saiyan was the first to make a move. The young warrior attacked his friend head on but disappeared from his sight only to attack from the right. Tobney was following his friend with his eyes and was ready for the attack. His hand flew out to catch Gohan's punch. The two stared into each other's eyes for only moment before Gohan moved up his leg to try to knee Tobney.

The warlord was ready for this. He pushed against Gohan's knee to push the young warrior away. Gohan was pushed back and landed on his feet but he had to push off immediately as his best friend was on the offense.

Tobney was good at attacking. It was why Gohan and Tobney were such a great team. Gohan was a better offensive fighter and Tobney was the exact opposite. They made up for each other's faults and so created the perfect duo. And they knew it too.

Gohan kept an eye on his best friend's gaze. It would give away where Tobney would try to attack. Once the half-saiyan was aware of the direction of the attack, he would only have an instant to block the attack. His friend was faster than him. It was something Gohan never really managed to overcome. The young warrior may be stronger and his higher power level may imply an innate ability to be faster than any other warrior, his best friend was still somewhat faster when it came to the briefest nano-second. If they had a race, Gohan would win. When it came to catching or throwing a punch, Tobney had the upper hand.

When he discussed this with Vegeta, his former master reasoned it had to do with the ability to build speed. Gohan could build up his speed faster as he was stronger. Tobney was just faster by nature. It was annoying but Gohan had to agree with that logic… For now.

The punch nearly hit his cheek. Gohan was shocked by how close it was to actually hitting him. He only just managed to tilt his head sideways. He could see from Tobney smirk that his friend was aware of his shock. Gohan didn't get much time to digest as his friend decided to push his arm sideways in order to knock him over the head. Gohan pushed Tobney's arm away just in time. For only a second, Tobney was wide open. Gohan brought up his fist to punch his friend in the stomach. Tobney used his free hand to push Gohan's punch away and he twirled in the air, whirling around and landed next to the half-saiyan. He used his own movement as leverage to punch the half-saiyan but Gohan could step back to create some distance between them just in time.

Gohan took several steps back to get out of the heat. The young warrior couldn't help but feel a content smile appear on his face. He had to admit it, he enjoyed this.

"Round two?" Tobney suggested.

The half-saiyan nodded once. "Let's go."

The two kept the fight going for a while. They got lost in their little struggle for dominance. They could keep this going for hours and hours.

As always, the day was over faster than they wanted. As the sun was setting, the two warriors decided to sit down on the roof of Gohan's house. The two warriors watched as the sky turned to a beautiful bright pink colour.

"If only we could simulate this on the ship." Tobney stated, mesmerized by the beauty.

"This must be the most beautiful planet in the entire universe." Gohan responded. "I love this planet, Tobney."

"I understand why." Tobney said. "But aren't you even a little interested in this adventure. Do you not want to help us take down these bad guys? Not even a little?"

"I do." Gohan responded truthfully.

Tobney raised both his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes, I did a lot of thinking. I think I'm ready to come with you, Tobney." Gohan was about to say something else but his best friend cut him off by throwing his arms around him and tackling him with a hug. The two warriors easily lost their footing and rolled off the roof together. The two landed the ground with a heavy thud. It knocked the breath out of both of them.

"Bad idea." Tobney groaned as he sat up.

"Very bad idea." Gohan agreed. The young warrior laughed when Tobney hugged him again. "Honestly, I didn't expect you to be this happy."

"Of course I am." Tobney released the half-saiyan. "I actually thought we would have to leave without you, Gohan. I was devastated."

"You had no faith in me whatsoever."

"It was wavering, I'll give you that."

The two grinned at each other. Just then a voice cut off their conversation. "Gohan, are you okay?"

Videl was approached them. A helicopter was standing in the distance. How did they not notice the helicopter approaching? "I saw you fall off the roof. Are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?"

Gohan and Tobney got up. "I'm sorry, Videl. We're fine." Gohan stated. "It was not that high a fall. The grass broke the fall." He explained. He saw that Videl was giving him a quizzical glance. How could grass break a fall from that high?

"I thought you were going to call me?" Gohan said.

"I figured visiting you was the best way to make sure you were okay." Videl responded. "I wanted to talk to you anyway." Her gaze moved to Tobney. "Who is this?"

"Oh, right." Gohan gestured to Tobney. "Tobney, meet Videl. Videl, meet Tobney."

"It's nice to meet you." Tobney stated as he shook her hand.

"You too." Videl responded. Her gaze went to Gohan. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Tobney smiled. "I'll leave you to it." He stated sweetly. The man gently hit Gohan on his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow to discuss everything."

"Tomorrow." Gohan agreed. The half-saiyan watched as Tobney greeted Videl and then left. The young warrior looked back to Videl, noticing the strict look on her face, and he blew out a sigh.

Alright. He would explain everything.

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 **Quite a long chapter, isn't it?**


	11. Chapter 11: Invitation to Greatness

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Chapter 11. Invitation to Greatness.**

"So?" Videl and Gohan were now sitting on the grass. The night had fallen all around them but the moon was giving them enough light to see each other.

The half-saiyan took a deep breath. "Alright… I think I have to start at the beginning if I want you to completely understand everything." Gohan decided to tell her everything. The truth. They'd been friends for a while now and this was one of those things that would test their friendship. Would she detest him after hearing his real story?

He could see the expression on her face changing as he spoke. She interjected with questions once in a while. "Where were you parents?" "How could someone just take you?" "Couldn't you call some sort of police?" These questions seemed so logical. How could someone be enslaved just like that? How can you be a free person one moment and a slave the next? For someone who lived all her life in freedom, it was difficult to imagine something like that.

Gohan didn't spare her any details. He showed his truest self. He told her about the murders he committed. That he wiped entire civilizations with just a flick of his finger. And that he did it with no remorse whatsoever.

A silence occurred after he stopped talking. Videl's gaze was lowered to the soft grass under them. She seemed to be overthinking everything she just heard. Or was she reconsidering their friendship?

"So… What are you thinking?" Gohan felt awkward as he said this. He could imagine what she was thinking. What a monster he was. Wondering how she could've ever been friends with a horrible person like him? The young warrior lowered his gaze as a sensation of shame ran through him.

"I was just… wondering how this history didn't totally screw you up." Videl answered slowly. Her blue eyes looked up at him. "I mean, people go completely crazy for less."

Gohan shrugged awkwardly. "So… You don't hate me?"

Videl laughed in response, which made Gohan feel somewhat embarrassed. "Of course not. Why would this make me hate you? I hate the people who did this to you. Wasn't it the same person who you still train with these days? How is it that you're actually friendly with him?"

Gohan didn't expect this question. "I don't know. We just sort of grew to respect each other over the years. That's why we're still training together and hanging out sometimes."

"Ah, Stockholm syndrome." Videl nodded once. "Interesting. I've never seen it happen in real life."

"It's not like that." Gohan reasoned. "It's just that… In that world, slavery is very normal. Abuse and physical punishments are as well. I was not the only slave who received physical punishments. And it stopped when I gained a higher social position. That's why I don't hate him for how he treated me."

Videl was smiling at him. "You attended the same lecture about this syndrome as I did, didn't you? Cause you're sort of following the typical symptoms quite closely."

Gohan considered this for a moment but then decided to change the subject. "Alright. So, I told you everything. As I said I would."

"And now you want to go with them." Videl added. Gohan nodded in response. "How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know. I think I'll be gone for a couple years." Gohan blew out a sigh. "I'm going to miss everything so much."

Videl smiled. "I'm going to miss you." She responded.

Gohan met her blue gaze. "I'm going to miss you too." The two held each other's gaze for a moment before Gohan looked down. He almost felt as if he couldn't look at her anymore and it was a weird sensation. Wat the hell was going on here?

Videl got up and brushed over her shorts to clean the grass and dirt off. "Say goodbye to me before you leave, okay?" She suggested.

Gohan nodded before he got up as well. "I will."

The two said goodnight to each other and Videl left to find her helicopter. Gohan watched the black helicopter fly away while feeling somewhat put off. If he wanted to leave with the army, he would have to leave Videl behind. And somehow that suddenly felt like a very big loss.

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College was expensive. Gohan knew that. They still had some money from Chi-chi's father and Chi-chi had a part-time job. Still, this was not enough to pay for Gohan's education. So, Gohan had to get a job too. The half-saiyan didn't actually have to work that often. He worked on the weekends and sometimes he took an evening shift.

"So, you serve people food and drinks for a living?" Tobney's voice rang out to him as he was standing outside. The half-saiyan was just wiping down a table but he now straightened to look at the newcomer. Only, Tobney wasn't alone.

Her yellow cat-like eyes were shining as she showed him a grin. Gohan could feel his heart lift at the sight of her. She looked amazing. Her dark-blue hair shimmered in the sun so brightly he briefly wondered if there were actual sparkles in there. He wouldn't put it past Solarus.

"Gohan!" She stepped closer and threw her arms around him. The young warrior was briefly surprised by how defined her arms were. Had she been working out?

"Solarus! It's so good to see you!" He returned her hug with pleasure and he could smell a faint citrusy scent as he got closer to her.

"It's good to see you too. I've missed you, Gohan!" Solarus responded cheerfully. She was all-smiles as she looked around. "This planet is amazing. No wonder you don't want to leave."

Gohan glanced to Tobney. "Did you tell her I don't want to leave?"

"I told her you were being difficult." Tobney responded. "And you were. I also told her that you changed your mind."

"And I said it couldn't hurt to let me see you." Solarus added. "And let me visit this planet. Oh~" she spread her arms and closed her eyes. "…and this sun. It feels great on my skin."

Tobney's eyes studied the young woman appreciatively. It made Gohan realize the two were still somewhat in love with each other. Tobney looked back to his friend. "So, little servant," Tobney's teasing tone of voice earned Gohan's full attention, "why don't you go get some drinks for us?"

Gohan placed his fists on his hips. "I'm not a servant. I'm a barista. And I only have to work for paying customers."

Tobney didn't respond but instead chose the table Gohan just wiped clean and he sat down there. Taking out a very earthly wallet, Tobney pulled out a ten-zenni note and placed it on the table. "Will that be enough?" He asked. Solarus sat down as well, smiling brightly at Gohan as she clasped her hands together and placed them on the table.

"Alright." Gohan took the money and stuffed it into the small black bag he was wearing on his hip. "What do you want?"

"Just give me something that resembles coffee." Tobney responded. "The coffee we drink on the mothership."

"I know." Gohan responded. "That's practically the same as the coffee we serve here. It makes me wonder where the army got the formula. Solarus, you like to have chocolate syrup in your coffee, right?" Solarus nodded in response and gave him a smile. "I think I can make something you'll really like. I'll be right back." He pulled out the money they were owed – as ten zenni was too much for two cups of coffee – and he placed it on the table.

"Keep the change." Tobney said as he waved Gohan's hand away. The half-saiyan stopped in mid-air. "It's the company's money. It's yours as much as it is mine."

Gohan continued his movement and placed the money on the table. He held his hand there for a moment. "I don't want the company's money." He stated before he released it and walked away. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

The half-saiyan went back inside and prepared their drinks. They had a coffee speciality which included coffee with milk, chocolate syrup, whipped cream and marshmallows. He was quite sure Solarus would love something so sweet. He figured Tobney would prefer a cappuccino as his best friend was not actually that much of a black-coffee drinker.

Returning with the drinks, Gohan looked up to see how Tobney and Solarus were discussing something privately. Tobney's pale hand was resting on Solarus's hand and the two smiled at each other. The moment Gohan got close, the two sat back. Tobney pulled his hand back and moved it up to scratch behind his ear. Gohan frowned thoughtfully. What just happened?

"This is looks amazing, Gohan!" Solarus cheered as he placed the glass in front of her. She pulled out an almost see-through small flat orb. "I need to share this." She tapped on the circle and a light-beam appeared from it, projecting a screen that hovered right above the orb. Gohan watched with fascination as Solarus tilted the screen, pointed it to the coffee and made a picture. She started tapping away on the little screen.

"Don't share the planet though." Tobney leaned back on his seat. "Or we'll have tourists wanting to come here and that's not really supposed to happen."

"Oh, right." Solarus nodded once before she looked up to Gohan. "Let's make a picture of us together!" She suggested.

"What?" Gohan raised an eyebrow but Solarus already grabbed his shirt and was pulling him down to her level.

"Tobney, would you do the honours?" She held out the mobile to Tobney –who accepted it- and wrapped an arm around Gohan's shoulders. "Smile, Gohan."

Gohan could do nothing else but obey. Tobney made the picture before giving it back to Solarus. "Perfect. Look at you, Gohan." She showed the picture. Solarus was all-smiles on the picture as she hugged the somewhat hesitatingly smiling Gohan. She pulled the picture away from him again and started typing something again. "Alright. Caption: Welcome Back to Lord Gohan…. Returned to the army at last?" Her yellow eyes moved up to Tobney. The warlord slowly nodded in return.

"What are you doing?" Gohan questioned, frowning.

Tobney shrugged. "Nothing. It's just a little publicity stunt."

"Publicity?" Gohan repeated.

"You know how it works." Tobney responded. "Coming back to the army means coming back to the spotlight. Solarus is a celebrity now." He nodded to the young woman. "She makes videos to promote the soldier's life in our army and to show an inside perspective. She's very popular."

"They asked Sianna first, but she turned it down." Solarus added. "Though she does have to appear in my videos once in a while to show what it's like to work as a female soldier. We're hoping to get more female recruits that way. People really like her and they ask for more videos of her all the time. Still, she only helps when Tobney forces her."

Tobney gave an innocent smile when Gohan looked to him. "Let's just say I have certain things I can hold over her head."

"Such as?"

"Nothing important, really. But it's important to her. You'll find out when you arrive on the ship."

"Or you could just tell me now."

"That would spoil the fun, wouldn't it?" Tobney grinned in response.

"That is how I got this one here." Solarus held up the flat orb. "It's the newest technology. I get paid to use it and show to my viewers that I use it. It's awesome."

"Not that you need any more credits with the lavish salary we give you." Tobney leaned back on his seat and grabbed his coffee.

"There's no such thing as having too much money." Solarus flashed a grin to Tobney before she turned away to put the orb back into the pocket of her dress.

Meanwhile, Tobney rolled his eyes to Gohan. The half-saiyan couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of it all. The young warrior looked around and noticed more costumers were coming in. He had to leave his friends behind.

The young warrior noticed that his friends were interested in his work. Their eyes followed him whenever he went outside to bring drinks to people. He didn't really mind. It was to be expected that they were curious about his work. He couldn't blame them.

It was about half an hour later that he noticed Tobney and Solarus were getting up. The young warrior approached them quickly, hoping to say goodbye to them. "Did you like the coffee?" He asked.

"Yes, I must have the recipe." Solarus responded.

"Not to worry. Gohan can make it for you once we're back on the mothership. We could even make a video out of it." Tobney suggested.

"Right!" Solarus seemed excited. "That's a great idea! We'll make it a thing. You can teach the viewers how to make different types of coffee. Oh, and we'll have to film a video about your pancakes. They are delicious!"

"Wait what?" Gohan considered this whole conversation unfair. He couldn't understand where they were going with this and what he was supposed to say. Videos? Viewers? That was not what he was supposed to come with them for.

"It will be great." Tobney placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Alright, we got what we came for. What time can you meet tomorrow to discuss everything? Do you have to go to school?"

Gohan slowly shook his head. "No, it's Sunday tomorrow. I don't have school on Sunday. I'm free all day."

"Alright." Tobney pulled out a small black electric notebook and he opened it. He looked at it for a moment while he moved his finger around on the screen. "So, would three o' clock work for you?" He looked up to Gohan.

"Sure."

"Perfect." Tobney tapped on the screen of his little electronic day planner a couple times before closing it and looking back to the half-saiyan. "Great. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you later, Gohan." Solarus smiled at him and made a waving gesture with her hand before she and Tobney turned to walk away.

"Later." Gohan agreed. The half-saiyan stood there for a moment, thinking about what just happened. "Wait…" He suddenly thought of something. "What did you come here for?" He realized Tobney said that they got what they came for but Gohan couldn't remember actually giving or saying anything that could help them.

Tobney only gave a smile over his shoulder and waved at him. It was obvious he was not going to get an answer. The half-saiyan moved to follow them but a hand from one of the costumers stopped him. The young warrior turned to walk to the costumer and take his order. The conversation he just had was still repeating itself in his head. He still wasn't sure what just happened.

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The small control room was as always quite dark. The lights from the screens were enough to light up the whole room though. It made sure that the attention was always on the information the screens showed. Any changes on the screens made immediate changes to the entire atmosphere.

The screens now showed different diagrams and symbols. Each of the numerous screens had its own picture to show. They appeared nonsensical to the untrained eye. Gohan had experience with these screens though. He knew these diagrams and tables showed the current status of their ongoing deals with numerous companies.

Tobney was standing in front of a screen that was at his face height. The screen showed a large man with a bright yellow moustache. The man had a wrinkly brown skin, which made Gohan wonder if he was old or if his body was just made that way.

"Team Alfa made my day, lord Tobney. I was afraid the bandits would overpower the team but they surprised me." He showed off her black teeth while he spoke.

"I'm glad to be of service, sir." Tobney responded, sounding more confident than Gohan ever saw him.

"And on such short notice too. Would you mind if I kept them around for a little?"

Tobney considered this comment for a moment. "I would, actually. I need the team here as soon as possible. Would you mind sending them back? We could arrange a guard to be stationed at your planet."

"Yes, please."

"Team Alfa does not take guard duties. Another team will be made available for you." Tobney offered.

"I appreciate it." The man responded. "I will send Team Alfa back to you fully fed and well-rested."

"I'm sure they will appreciate that." Tobney smiled. "I'll be sending a lease-contract to you."

Gohan watched with fascination as Tobney exchanged pleasantries with the large and wrinkly man before singing off. After the screen turned black, Tobney blew out a sigh and placed both his hands over his face.

Gohan found himself worried for a moment before Tobney suddenly started talking. "Did your mother never teach you it is rude to eavesdrop on conversations?" Gohan couldn't help but smile as he stepped closer. Tobney removed his hands from his face and glanced to his friend. "I'll have to ask her."

"I couldn't help myself." Gohan said by way of apology. "It's interesting to see a business call like that."

"Right and you've never been in a business call yourself." Tobney countered easily.

"Yes, but it's nice to watch you do so."

"Is it three o'clock already?" Tobney checked his watch. "Oh it is. I'm so sorry. This assignment came out of nowhere." He hesitated for a moment. "Would you mind waiting for a bit? I need do some preparations for this guard duty. You know, allow the contract to be signed up, assign a team, help prepare a guard ship and all its necessities."

"Sure. I guess I'll hang around here for a bit." Gohan shrugged. He didn't mind.

"I think Comora is training Videl. You can go check that out, if you'd like." Tobney suggested.

"Comora is what?"

"You didn't know?" Tobney couldn't help but smirk as he grabbed his warm drink and held it closer to his lips. "Comora has a new trainee."

"How did that even happen? I asked you guys to leave her alone." Gohan complained.

Tobney held up his free hand. "Don't shoot the messenger. And she came to us. She saw your training two days ago and she wants to learn how to fight like that." He made a slight inclination with his head, a grin appearing on his face. "You should keep a better eye on your girlfriend."

"She's not my…" Gohan noticed the expression on Tobney's face and he decided to drop it. Responding with hostility to those types of comments would only affirm their suspicions. "Fine. I'll go see how they're doing." He turned to walk out the room.

Tobney stood a little straighter and raised his voice. "Don't disrupt their training though." He called after the youngster. "You know what Comora is like when people disrupt his training."

"I'm not afraid of Comora." Gohan responded as he disappeared around the corner.

Tobney raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not sure if that is brave or foolish." He took a deep breath before turning around so he could get to work.

Gohan wasn't sure what to expect as he headed for the training room. He could feel Videl's presence in there. It felt somewhat stronger, which made him realize how good Comora really was.

Gohan stepped into the training room and watched the scene with fascination. There she was, in a complete uniform once again, fighting Suno. The two were on the ground and it went quite slow. Still, Gohan could see the intensity. Videl may be on a human level but she was a very good fighter.

Comora was walking circles around the two, eying the fight with a professional gaze. The man's red eyes suddenly changed direction and moved to meet Gohan's brown orbs. He gestured for Gohan to come closer. The half-saiyan obeyed and crossed the distance quickly.

"She's very good." Comora stated quietly as to not disrupt the training. "Tactical. She takes advantage of her strengths. She's a completely different person when she is fighting Suno or when she is fighting Solarus. It's the height difference. When she's fighting Suno, she plays the smaller-card, but when she fighting Solarus, she changes her entire routine to match Solarus's height." The man tilted his head sideways as he eyed the fight. "The only problem is that…"

"Left arm." Gohan completed for Comora. The man glanced towards him now. "She has a tendency to clench her left fist before she attacks with that arm. It gives her away." Comora seemed impressed. "It's rigorous. We've been working on that tendency for months now."

The two were distracted by the fight as Suno made a winning move. Videl had once again showed that she was going to use her left arm for a punch and her opponent grabbed her fist, turned his back on her while keeping her arm in his grip and he slammed her over his shoulder and onto the ground. The young fighter landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her. Suno was just about to place his boot on her when she rolled sideways to avoid it. She jumped up only to be faced with an energy ball that was floating in front of Suno's open palm.

"And you're dead." Suno teased.

"That's not fair. I can't manipulate energy." Videl complained. "Besides, a blast like that won't kill me."

"Wanna bet?" Suno's grin looked a bit sinister now.

Comora crossed his arms over each other. "Alright. Playtime is over, Suno." He called.

"Yes, sir." Suno lowered his hand and the energy-orb disappeared. Comora gathered up two bottles of water from the ground and he tossed them to the two warriors. They each caught a bottle and they eagerly had some water.

"Gohan. You're up." Comora stated as he glanced to the half-saiyan. "You'll spar with Videl for a while. See how you match up against her."

"I just came to spectate."

"Gohan." Comora turned to the half-saiyan fully and threw his turquoise arm around the half-saiyan's shoulder. Gohan was somewhat surprised and he also realized that this meant Comora was annoyed with his attitude. "It has come to my attention that you have forgotten who is in charge around here. You stepped into my training room so you'll obey my rules. Do you understand me?" His muscled arm gave a brief squeeze around Gohan's shoulders to show the half-saiyan that he meant it.

"Last time I checked, I was in charge around here." Gohan pushed Comora's arm away and stood a little straighter so he could face off against Comora. "Or did you forget that?"

"You gave up your title." Comora returned easily. "Right now, Tobney is in charge of the army. I am his second in command. And you are a mere guest on this ship."

"The general policy is that guests are treated politely, isn't it?" Gohan knew all about this as he was often assigned as a personal servant to important guests. They were always to feel right at home.

Videl frowned worriedly. She was about to say something when Suno placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. This is normal. Let them get it out of their system." He said cheerfully.

"We treat guests whom are important to the company with respect, yes. You're not that special, kiddo."

"Fine. I'm not a guest yet. Maybe I'll just stay on planet earth. Let you leave without me."

Comora chuckled. "Don't make me laugh. You want to come with us. You were tempted the moment we landed on this planet. You're dying for an adventure. And I'm pretty sure you're quite enjoying this little argument. You like pushing buttons, seeing how far you can go. Besides, you weren't born yesterday. You knew that the moment you stepped into this training room, you were doomed to a match of your own."

Gohan knew Comora was right. He expected something like this to happen. Walking into a training room in which Comora was supervising a training session was practically suicide.

"Let me train with him." Suno offered. "I really want to tear off his shirt." Gohan looked down to his sweatshirt. "Come on. Let me, please, sir. Give the girlfriend a good show."

"Oh, we're not in a relationship." Videl stated in response, shaking her head.

"Don't even bother, Videl." Gohan returned. "It's no use."

Comora seemed amused as he shook his head as well. "No, we should let the lovebirds spar." He said before he looked to the scowl he received from Gohan. "I want to see how you fight her, Gohan. It's a whole different style. I want to watch how you handle that." His red eyes moved to Videl. "Would you mind?"

"It's okay." Videl responded, smiling. "What about you?" Her blue eyes moved to Gohan. The half-saiyan shrugged, happy that at least someone asked his opinion.

"Sure, why not?"

The two warriors created some distance between them and the two older soldiers. "No energy use or flying." Comora called as instructions.

"Why not? He did." Gohan gestured to Suno as he spoke. He just saw Suno aiming an energy-blast at Videl, didn't he?

"He was not supposed to do so either." Comora responded, giving a sharp side-eye to his subordinate.

Suno winced and put up his hands in defeat. "Sorry, sir."

Gohan was once again surprised by how much power Comora had over the other members of the Suta Team. Suno and the others always did exactly as Comora said, no questions asked. Only Gohan and Tobney tended talk back or disobey him. Gohan never really looked into the history of the Suta Team before he and Tobney joined. He may as well start that now as he had nothing better to do while he would be travelling with the army.

For now, Gohan looked to Videl. "Ready?"

"Anytime." Videl grinned in response. Her body sank into a fighting stance and Gohan could already see that Comora had given her some pointers concerning her defence. The young warrior eyed her defence for a moment before he looked up into her blue eyes.

Videl was the one to attack him first. Her dark hair waved behind her as she crossed the distance between them. Gohan moved up his arm to block her first punch. He gazed into her eyes and noticed her pupils made the briefest inclination to below before her knee tried to push itself to his stomach. Gohan moved up his own leg to block the attack.

Deciding it was his turn, Gohan pushed away from her. Videl stepped back to gain her footing. Meanwhile, Gohan had time to plan his attack. Taking advantage of her unsteady footing, Gohan let his body kneel down, extended one leg and tried to sweep her feet from under her. Videl jumped up just in time.

Gohan let his body finish the twirl before he moved up his leg to kick his opponent. Videl was still in mid-air and she crossed her arms in front of her to block the attack. As she was still in mid-air, she was thrown backwards and she landed on her back. The impact pushed all the air out of her lungs and she gasped for air.

"Lower your power level, Gohan." Comora stated from the side-lines.

Gohan glanced sideways. "It's low enough."

"But it's still higher than hers. I want you two to be on even ground." Comora's red eyes focused on him. "Or are you afraid to fight her on an even level?"

Gohan pressed his lips together, feeling the sensation of shame settle in his stomach. Yes, he may have allowed his power level to raise just the tiniest bit because he didn't want to fail his match with Videl in front of his former comrades. She was a good fighter. And as he saw her defence at the beginning of the match, he feared she had received such good advice from Comora that it gave her the upper hand.

"Did you expect we wouldn't notice?" Suno teased. "We've been watching you fight since you were eleven, kiddo."

The half-saiyan gave a half-hearted shrug in response. Videl sank back into her defensive-stance. Gohan took a breath before he followed her example. His power level was now lowered to match hers perfectly.

Videl eyed him for a moment. "Ready?" She asked. Gohan nodded in response. Videl's gaze hardened as she focused on his defence. She was standing in front of him within a second. Her hand moved up, directed to hit his face. Gohan moved his head back to avoid getting hit and as he did so he allowed his arm to sweep sideways, hoping to take her off-guard. Videl saw the attack coming and she brought up her arm to block the attack. As his level was at hers, he couldn't push through and throw her sideways so he had to pull back and redirect his attack. Meanwhile, Videl used her free hand to try to punch him. Gohan tilted his head sideways just in time but her arm was close to his face. Too close. He expected her to pull back but she didn't. Instead, she redirected her attack and pushed her arm sideways, taking his head with her. Gohan stumbled sideways but managed to block her following kick.

Videl noticed her attack was blocked so she pulled back her leg. However, Gohan held on and tried to pull her off her feet. Videl widened her eyes, shocked, but then pushed off, used her free leg to kick Gohan's arm so that he would release her leg, and she summersaulted backwards to create some distance between them.

Gohan clicked with his tongue as he watched her land on her feet awkwardly. The move wasn't flawless but she pulled it off. For a second there, he thought he was going to win but she managed to weasel her way out of his grip. The half-saiyan met her eyes and he ran at her, deciding he would make the first move this time.

The match went on for a while, until Tobney wandered into the training room. The young warrior watched for a bit, adding some of his own tips, before he put a stop to it.

"I don't want to exhaust Gohan just yet." Tobney added as explanation.

"Sure, we were done anyway, sir." Comora responded.

Gohan and Videl approached the other warriors. The half-saiyan gently touched his split lip. Videl managed to get through his defence a couple times. Still, Videl was sporting a discoloured eye and a split lip as well. They'd both had a hard time.

As the two warriors approached them, Tobney glanced to Comora. The older man nodded in response to his questioning glance. "Videl." Tobney smiled as he studied the young woman. "As you continue to come to us for training, we were wondering if you would like to join the army."

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	12. Chapter 12: It's Time To Leave

**Chapter 12. It's Time To Leave.**

Videl's blue eyes moved to Gohan. The half-saiyan noticed this and he returned a smile. This was her decision to make. Not his. "What do you think?" She asked.

"My opinion doesn't matter." Gohan said. "Though it would mean I have one person less to leave behind."

Videl's expression changed somewhat as he turned to him fully. "Am I someone you are leaving behind? Am I someone you factor in?"

Tobney raised both his eyebrows as his gaze moved to Gohan. He realized Videl was asking Gohan what she meant to him. Would that influence her decision to come with them? He personally didn't mind her coming along. She would make a proper soldier and they could use all the soldiers they could get. Many soldiers walked away from the army once Tobney released the information that they were not going to purge planets anymore. Not many people believed in the new direction the company was taking. He needed people like Videl and Gohan. People who believed the universe could be a better place and who were willing to fight for it.

"Of course." Gohan smiled in response. "You're my best friend." The half-saiyan was too oblivious to notice that Comora and Suno exchanged exasperated glances and Tobney let out a quiet groan.

Videl pressed her lips together as he spoke. She now lowered her gaze. "Okay." She turned to look at the others. "I'll consider your offer." Her voice was clear and loud, which surprised the men in front of her. It was a drastic change from how she appeared just a minute ago. Her blue eyes now turned to look at Comora. "Our training is over now, right? I need to get home and do my homework for tomorrow."

"Sure. When can we meet again?" Comora asked. The man pulled out a small electronic day planner and consulted it.

"Ehhh, I've got a long day tomorrow. So, let's say the day after tomorrow and then at five?" Videl suggested.

Comora followed her words and nodded. "Sure. I'll see you then. Would you like me to show you the way out?"

"No thanks. I know where to go. I'll return the uniform two days from now as well."

"Keep it." Tobney responded. "We've got plenty."

"Thank you." Videl smiled. "Alright, see you all later. Gohan, want to have a study session tonight?"

"Sure. Eight?"

"Perfect." Videl grinned to him before she turned to leave the room.

The aliens waited for Videl to leave the room before they all frowned at the half-saiyan. Gohan noticed the sudden attention and he let out a blank expression. "What?"

Tobney shook his head as Comora placed a hand on his forehead. "You're such an idiot." Tobney concluded.

"What? Why?" Gohan was beyond confusion now.

"Let's just focus on training, muscle head." Suno wrapped an arm around Gohan's shoulders and he gently forced Gohan to turn back to the center of the room.

Comora agreed as he put his day planner away. "Yes, Lord Tobney, are you joining us?"

"Yep. I'm in!" Tobney said cheerfully. "Let's beat some sense in the little monkey boy."

Comora laughed in response. "I doubt that will ever succeed."

"I still don't understand what I did wrong." Gohan complained.

"And you never will because you never manage to see these things." Tobney complained in return.

"See what?"

Tobney studied the youngster in front of him. The look he was receiving from the half-saiyan was one he'd definitely seen before. The youngster looked so naïve. So young. "How much of an idiot you are." Tobney explained. He smiled at the glare he received from Gohan. This felt so normal. So right. Tobney was excited to have Gohan back on the ship and to have life back to how it was years ago.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

The following morning, Tobney decided to visit the son residence early so that he could say hi to Chi-chi.

"Thank you, miss." Tobney said pleasantly as he accepted the cup of tea from Chi-chi. "Human tea is really one of a kind. I must buy some to take with me."

Gohan sat down on the couch with his own mug. The young warrior couldn't help but smile at Tobney's politeness. His friend was always sweeter to people he wanted to impress. It wasn't that he didn't mean it. He just really wanted to make a good impression.

The young warrior told his mother the truth straight away. He didn't want to keep the fact that he was leaving again a secret from her. She was sad but she told him to follow his heart. He was thankful for that. As he was leaving, he wanted to spend as much time with his mother as he possibly could. Aside from that he was preparing everything he needed to make it through several years. He knew he wouldn't need that much clothing as he could wear the uniforms provided by the army. He wouldn't need money or nutritious supplies as that would be provided by the army as well. All he needed to take were his pyjamas and a bit of spare clothes in case he wanted to wear something casual.

"It makes me sad to see that Gohan needs to stop his education though. He was doing so well too." Chi-chi gave Gohan a sad look. The half-saiyan returned the look. He was aware of the things he had to give up in order to join on this mission. He knew that this disappointed his mother a little bit and he didn't like that at all.

"Right. Gohan didn't really tell me about his education." Tobney decided to turn the conversation to a slightly more positive note. "He just said that he could become a police officer. What does that mean?"

"You didn't tell your friend what you're trying to become?" Chi-chi looked to her son. The half-saiyan shrugged. He wasn't really planning on giving this information because he was certain Tobney would find it amusing. The same went for the rest of his comrades. They would boast about how they considered a job as a "hero" so becoming for him. They would make fun of him, he was sure of it.

"So what does it entail?" Tobney questioned, curious.

"You surely know what it means." Gohan responded. "It's similar to the job of being a soldier. It basically entails keeping the peace, taking care of criminals or just generally helping people. At least, that's what it means to me."

Tobney gave him a smile. "I'm sure you'll be a great police officer. "

Gohan returned the smile. "Thank you."

Tobney held his gaze for only a moment before he looked back to Chi-chi to continue the conversation with her. The three had more than enough to talk about and the hours flew by easily. It wasn't long before Tobney's watch started beeping and the young warrior glanced at it.

"All right." Tobney got up and stretched his arms. "I have to go. I'm sure you still have some packing to do." The young warrior greeted Chi-chi and thanked her for her hospitality before he followed Gohan to the entrance. There, Tobney turned to his friend and leaned in closer. "And don't worry, I won't tell the others about your aspirations to become a hero. You should have more faith in your best friend." He smiled when he noticed Gohan's distraught look. "Focus on putting up those walls." He gently petted Gohan's shoulder before turning to walk out the door.

The half-saiyan didn't realize that Tobney had been listening to his mind throughout the conversation. He felt stupid for not making sure his mental walls were up to protect his thoughts. Admittedly, he hadn't been practicing this ability as he didn't feel the need any more these days. Humans could not read minds as easily as Tobney could.

It wasn't long after Tobney left that Gohan was yet again visited. This time the guilty one was Vegeta. The young warrior was just getting dressed after taking a shower when someone crawled in through his window. "Ever heard of knocking?" Gohan questioned without turning to look at his former master.

"Why would I do that? The window is open." Vegeta returned easily. The man crossed the distance to Gohan's bed and sat down on it. Gohan ignored his master at first but then he realized that Vegeta was studying him quietly.

"What?" Gohan knew that any type of silent study from Vegeta would eventually lead to some sort of remark concerning his behaviour or appearance. He may as well get it over with.

"Don't let Comora see you with your shirt off." The man leaned on the soft fabric of Gohan's sheets with his hands as he crossed his legs over each other. "I think he'll install a diet-regime instantly."

Gohan snatched a shirt from his closet and put it on. "Comora has nothing to say about my body."

Vegeta grinned in response. "Please don't be naïve, kiddo. Comora has been in control of your appearance for years. He's not going to let that go."

"Well, he can install away. I'm not his subordinate anymore. There's nothing he can say or do to make me obey him." Gohan returned.

This response only seemed to amuse Vegeta. "Did you forget how persuasive the Suta Team can be?" he asked. Gohan's movements faltered and he glanced to his former master.

"It's not that bad." Gohan returned.

"For a normal person, no, but you're a warrior. No, you're an elite soldier. You're supposed to be in good shape." Vegeta said. "I think this trip will be good for you. Toughen you up."

"Yes, because that's what I need. Toughening up." Gohan muttered in response.

"And you need to persuade Tobney to take me along too." Vegeta added.

Gohan chuckled. "Of course. Why not? That's just what I need. You egging Comora and the others on."

"You could use my help. You're going up against an army. I know you can take care of yourself just fine but it wouldn't hurt to have an extra soldier at your side. And I am still the second strongest warrior in the universe." Vegeta appeared to be taking a humble approach in order to persuade Gohan to give him his way. The young warrior couldn't help but smile in response.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta." Gohan responded. "Tobney doesn't want you on his ship and I can understand why. You're going to have to sit this one out. I'm not going to help you."

"You're such an idiot." Vegeta complained. "Demand that you want me to come along. He'll give you your way."

"But I don't want you to come along." Gohan responded. "Don't you get it, Vegeta? We're not friends. We just train together because there's nobody else on this planet to train with. I have no reason to bring you along on this trip. Now please leave." He motioned to the window to encourage Vegeta to leave the same way he came in.

The Saiyan prince scoffed but he didn't say anything as he got up and left the room. Gohan watched him go and he realized that he felt bad about what he just said. He wasn't sure but it almost looked as if Vegeta was emotionally hurt by Gohan's words. It was an expression he hadn't seen on Vegeta's face before and it took the half-saiyan by surprise. The young warrior shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. This was Vegeta after all. The man couldn't care less if Gohan lived or died. It was time Gohan started to return the sentiment.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

After a weekend filled with packing his stuff and training with his former comrades, Gohan was somewhat exited to go into his last few days of school.

"You do have to understand," Gohan said to Videl, "that if you join us, you'll have to follow Comora's rules." The two were in the middle of a PE lesson and they were running circles around the baseball field as a warm up.

"So?" Videl glanced to him.

"So," Gohan took a breath, "Comora tends to make a strict schedule. He'll interfere with your diet, your exercising routine and even with how many hours you sleep."

Videl shrugs. "I'll tell him to back off."

Gohan barked out a laugh in response. This earned him a glare from the woman next to him. "Please tell him that when I'm there to see it." He responded. The man grinned when Videl gave him a frown. "I would love to see his response to that."

And he did. Two days later, Videl mentioned this to Comora. They all just finished a training session and were getting ready to leave when Comora made a statement to Videl. "When you join us, this will be a daily routine."

"Maybe not daily, but I guess regular." Videl agreed.

"No, it will be daily. You'll have to train every day if you get stronger quickly. And you definitely need the power up." Comora responded.

Gohan – who was talking to Tobney – now placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and nodded to the other two warriors. He wanted to hear this conversation.

"I'll decide that for myself, thanks." Videl responded casually.

Comora widened his eyes for a moment. Gohan and Tobney glanced to him to watch his reaction. The tall warrior crossed his arms over each other. "Now listen here, little lady, if you join the army you'll have to obey my rules."

"Sure. But that doesn't mean I cannot decide my own schedule." Videl responded. "I can decide where I go and what I do for myself."

"Not if you want to become a soldier." Comora said. "It doesn't work that way. Soldiers are part of a team and there's a hierarchy. If you join us, you'll have to submit to the hierarchy and that means I have complete control over you and your daily schedule."

"I don't know if I can live like that." Videl stated stubbornly.

"I suggest you figure that out before we leave or you'll find you'll be in big trouble once we're in the air." Comora advised. The man considered this conversation over and he turned to walk away.

Tobney and Gohan exchanged glances. The half-saiyan figured Videl needed some consolidation after her first confrontation with Comora and so he approached the female warrior. Videl was frowning as she watched Comora walk away. Her blue eyes focused on Gohan when the latter started talking: "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry. Comora is like that to all the newbies." Tobney added. "He wants to make sure you know your place. He likes being in charge."

"It's not personal." Gohan added. "You should have seen him when I just joined the army."

"They were fighting every single day." Tobney agreed. "And look at them now; they're the best of friends."

"Sort of." Gohan added again. "Anyway, don't let this affect your decision."

"How can it not?" Videl asked, turning to him fully. "I don't know if I can live in a world where other people tell me what to do. How can you live like that?"

"Honestly, Videl, you want to become a cop, right?" Gohan asked. He waited for her to nod and then continued: "Then you'll have to answer to a superordinate as well."

"While I'm at work, yes, but not when I'm off work." Videl responded. "They won't tell me what to eat and how many hours to sleep."

"I see Gohan talked to you as well." Tobney stated, placing an arm around Gohan's broad shoulders.

"It's true, isn't it?" Gohan responded, slightly annoyed that Tobney was making it seem as if this was his fault. "Being able to live in the army requires an entirely different attitude. I just warned you."

Videl's blue eyes locked gazes with Gohan now. "You don't like it, right?" She concluded. Gohan widened his eyes for a moment. "Why do you want to go back if you don't like that way of life?"

Gohan shrugged helplessly. "I don't know." He really didn't know why he wanted to join the army. He was just excited to have a new challenge. A new war. Something to fight for. Rather than just sitting at home, studying, training on a low level with his classmates. It was kind of boring.

"You must have a reason." Videl responded. "Or are you just saying yes to please your friends?"

"No, not really." Gohan stuttered. He felt his cheeks heating up. He honestly wasn't really sure why he agreed to go with his comrades. Tobney frowned in response. This conversation was going in the wrong direction.

Videl crossed her arms over each other. "If you don't have a good reason to join them and you don't like the social dynamics, maybe you shouldn't go with them."

Gohan opened his mouth to respond but he was distracted by Tobney's voice: "This conversation is over." Tobney snarled as he got in between the two warriors. The two looked at him, surprised. The warrior moved up his hand and spoke into his watch. "Close the gates." He ordered. Gohan frowned in response. "We're leaving right now." Tobney stated.

"Hey!" Gohan spoke up. "You can't just leave with us on the ship."

"Watch me." Tobney went to walk away but Gohan grabbed his arm, pulling his friend back. Tobney turned halfway to look back at him.

"Tobney, you can't do this." Gohan stated. "I want to get off the ship, now."

"I'm not going to let you get off the ship so she can talk you out of coming with us." Tobney responded. "You said yes. You can't back out now."

Gohan shook his head. "I'm not backing out. I haven't changed my mind. We were just talking."

"You were hesitating!" Tobney turned to Gohan fully now. "I can't leave you behind, Gohan. We cannot afford to leave you behind."

"Why not?" Gohan responded. "Why am I so important? Why can you not leave without me?"

Tobney visibly hesitated but then raised his watch to his lips and spoke a clear order, keeping an eye on Gohan's response. "Prepare for lift-off."

"No!" Gohan snarled in response. Videl could feel her heartbeat starting to speed up. This was becoming too real. Tobney turned away from them and started walk away. "Tobney," Gohan's voice was quiet as he spoke, "are you going to make me leave without saying goodbye to my mother?"

Tobney froze. The warrior was breathing quickly as he considered what he was about to do to his friend. Gohan appeared in front of him. "Cancel the order, Tobney. You still can." He spoke clearly as he grabbed Tobney's arm and moved it up and closer to Tobney's face.

Videl's was silent as she watched the two warriors. Gohan was still staring at Tobney as he held Tobney's arm near his friend's face. Their eyes seemed to be fighting a battle of their own.

Tobney's mouth felt dry as he opened it and spoke the clear order: "Cancel that, guys. Open the gates again."

Gohan gave a small smile as he released Tobney's arm. "Thank you."

"Don't leave us, Gohan." Tobney said quietly.

"I won't." Gohan responded. "Tobney, I promised I would come with you. Why would I change my mind now?"

Tobney blew out a sigh. "I'm sorry." He responded before he turned to look at Videl. "And I'm sorry to you too. I'm not often so crazy."

Gohan couldn't help but smile in response. Videl shrugged. "I'm sorry too. I may have gotten a little carried away after this argument with Comora."

"I don't blame you." Gohan added. "Can't we leave Comora behind?" He suggested, glancing to Tobney.

His friend grinned in response. "If only we could. He would probably fly through the vacuum to follow us. I wouldn't put it past him."

"Me neither." Gohan agreed. The half-saiyan put his hands together and stretched his arms forwards. "Okay. I'm going home." He looked to Tobney. "I'll be here in two days to leave, okay? Trust me."

"And I'll let you know if I'll come along too." Videl responded. "I just need some time to think."

"Fair enough." Tobney shrugged casually. "I'll see you then."

And he did see both of them. The two warriors presented themselves right on time for lift off. Videl didn't need to think long. She called Tobney a couple of hours after the argument to tell him she would join them. So now, Gohan and Videl passed over the bridge to the entrance and they joined Tobney in the doorway. Comora was watching everything as he stood near one of the windows. His arms were crossed and his red gaze was penetrating as he studied the two human fighters.

Gohan approached the tall man. "Hey, did you see Vegeta today?" He asked. He figured Vegeta would try to sneak onto board with them. However, the man hadn't shown his face all day.

Comora shook his head. "I saw him last night."

"And he didn't try to come with us?"

"Nope. He tried to convince me to take him along." Comora responded. "However, I explained that this really couldn't happen as Tobney is in charge now. And he seemed to concede."

Gohan frowned thoughtfully. "He conceded?" That didn't sound like Vegeta. He more or less expected Vegeta to blast the ship to smithereens if he wasn't allowed to come.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Comora shrugged. "Maybe the air on planet earth mellowed him."

"I doubt that." Gohan responded. Comora's red eyes met his gaze head on now. The half-saiyan raised his eyebrows at the intensity of his gaze.

Comora reached out to cup Gohan's chin. "Don't neglect to shave." He stated, eying the stubble on Gohan's cheeks and chin. "It doesn't suit you."

Gohan pushed Comora's hand away in response. He frowned at the change of subject and the comment on his appearance but Tobney interrupted the conversation.

"Ready for this?" Tobney asked, glancing to them. Gohan and Videl both nodded affirmatively.

"Close the doors." Tobney ordered as he looked to the entrance. The doors seemed to obey his command as they silently slid closed. A locking sound could be heard, indicating that the aircraft was fully locked and ready to go. Gohan took up a position near a window and gave a last look to the beautiful planet. Videl watched him go and she decided to join him.

"Lift off." Tobney ordered through his scouter. The youngster closed the call to his subordinates and he stepped closer to the two human warriors. The ship shivered under their feet as they moved up and away from the planet. Within a second, they were floating in the vacuum.

"Ready to see everyone again?" Tobney asked as he placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. The half-saiyan turned to look at his best friend. Tobney could see the redness in Gohan's eyes, the slight shiver in his breath. Videl was wiping the area under her eyes as well. It seemed to dawn on her that she wouldn't see the planet and her family for months. And that was difficult to accept.

"Yeah." Gohan took a deep breath to steady his emotions and he nodded. "I can't wait to see everyone."

Tobney gave his best friend a sad smile as he gently squeezed Gohan's shoulder. Releasing the half-saiyan, Tobney led the way back to the entrance. The small travel-ship could land inside the mothership. They would only have to wait for about thirty minutes before they would be able to leave the tiny aircraft.

After they arrived on the mothership, Tobney led the way to their old bedroom. "I figured you wouldn't mind staying in your old room." Tobney offered. "I still have mine. Didn't feel like sleeping in Vegeta's old room. Why would I, you know?"

Gohan could understand. Their own rooms were good enough for them. Gohan told Tobney that he didn't mind staying in his old room.

Tobney nodded in response before he turned to Videl. "You can decide whether you want your own quarters or whether you want to share this one with Gohan and me. There are three rooms here. But there's one bathroom."

Videl looked to Gohan. "I wouldn't mind." She stated.

Gohan shook his head and smiled. "Me neither." He looked to Tobney. "Where do Sianna and Solarus live?" Last time he checked, they lived in these quarters as well.

"They have their own quarters now. These rooms have been empty for a while now. Well, apart from me." Tobney led them inside. "Alright. Choose your rooms and unpack. I'll let you go off on your own for a while to explore the ship."

Videl and Gohan were left to do their own thing. And they both didn't mind. Videl went into her own room to unpack her bags. Gohan was placing his pyjamas on his bed when Suno entered the quarters. "Gohan, come with me for a sec." Suno waved the half-saiyan over. The young warrior gave his comrade a confused glance but he followed Suno.

Gohan tried to recognize the route as they walked and he vaguely recalled that they could be heading to the training rooms. Were they about to train? Gohan was surprised when Suno diverted to the simulation rooms and headed into one of the control rooms.

Comora and Tobney greeted them as they headed inside. The older man was leaning on the control panel with his hands. The rooms were just as Gohan remembered them. Tiny and cramped with computers. Lights of all different kinds greeted them, showing where the buttons were. One wall was completely made of windows to give visual access to the simulation-room. Gohan looked inside only to realize a group of warriors was already training.

He didn't recognize most of them. They all seemed relatively young and they were all different sizes and colours. One male was flying high up in the dark sky. His skin appeared to be a dark golden colour, so bright that he seemed to glow in the darkness. His eyes were all black with no visible pupils. He seemed to be bald at first but as Gohan looked closely, he could see a very closely cut stripe of hair just on the top of the man's head.

This golden warrior was fighting a female soldier with light-blue hair. Her toned arms were darker blue. He tried to catch hold of her eyes but she was turned away from him, giving only her back to him. The fight appeared to be evenly matched. Gohan could just notice the tiniest mistakes in the male warrior's style and he was sure the female would take advantage of that, if only she would notice.

His eyes moved to the rest of the team. Four more were left and they were caught in a relentless free-for-all. The first warrior his eyes fell on had bright eyes. That was the first thing Gohan noticed. His arms were covered by a black uniform but Gohan could catch a glimpse of the man's pale arms. His hair was short and blonde. If it wasn't for the eyes, this guy could have easily passed as human.

The second warrior was the smallest of the group but he also appeared to be the bulkiest. Gohan learned a long time ago that looking strong was not the same as being strong. Still, this guy looked quite impressive. The man had long black hair, tied back into a tail, and his skin was bright red.

A third warrior was obviously the weakest of the bunch. Gohan could see this by the manner in which he was suddenly thrown back by one of the punches of the female warrior he was fighting with. He stumbled back, throwing his dark hands backwards to catch his fall. His blue eyes were wide with fear as he appeared to expect a finishing blow but his opponent was distracted by one of the other warriors.

Gohan's eyes now focused on the weaker one's former opponent. Man, these past few years had done her good. He focused on the joy in her bright cat-like eyes. Her brown hair was still quite short, which indicated that she now kept it short, and it was tied back in a French-braid. Even though the gentleman in him tried to focus on her ability, his traitorous eyes had to run down her toned physique and he saw how much progress she'd made. Sianna was looking on top of her game. And she appeared happier than he'd ever seen her.

"Wow…" Gohan whispered before he could stop himself.

"Yep." Tobney responded, smiling. "The years have done her well." He said, echoing Gohan's thoughts.

Gohan glanced sideways and noticed that Comora and Tobney were both watching his reaction. The youngster cleared his throat, somehow uncomfortable now. Tobney motioned to the room. "Meet Sianna and her very own team."


	13. Chapter 13: The Perfect Picture

**Chapter 13. The Perfect Picture.**

Tobney gestured to the large simulation room. "Meet Sianna and her very own team."

"Her team? She a squadleader?" Gohan asked.

Comora showed a disapproving expression as he nodded. "Yep. She found a couple of soldiers stupid enough to follow her orders, trained with them and took the test that is required to become an official squad. She did everything right."

"And they're now one of our best squads." Tobney said proudly. "She went on several missions with them. Guard missions to tone down possible threats. We now act as bodyguards, as you know."

Gohan nodded. Tobney explained that the army now worked as an intergalactic peace-keeper. They protected planets from alien invasion in exchange for credits. This appeared quite a profitable business and the army had grown financially.

The young warrior watched as Tobney winked at him and pressed a button on the control panel. The simulation turned off and the warriors all seemed distracted by the fact that they were suddenly floating in a spacey room rather than out in space. Sianna let out a frustrated growl. "Tobney!" She shrieked.

Tobney laughed guiltily as he stepped back. "Why does she always assume it's me?"

"Because you're the only who does things like this." Comora responded. "Be careful. A storm is coming." He motioned to Sianna, who had now crossed the distance to the entrance. She appeared in the small control room a second later. The angry look on her face disappeared as she saw Gohan.

"Gohan!" She grinned as she stormed towards him and threw her arms around the soldier. "I've missed you so much!"

Gohan was surprised by the strength in her arms as she hugged him. He returned the hug, feeling her toned body under his arms. Sianna was still grinning as she stepped back and looked up at him. "I can't believe you're here! How did this happen?" Her gaze changed and she looked to Tobney. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Why are you never so happy to see me?" Tobney teased. "I'm not as cute as Gohan is but there must be something about me that is pleasing to the eye."

"Yes, your absence." Sianna shot back easily. Tobney placed a hand on his chest as if the insult hit him in his heart. Sianna rolled her eyes in response before she turned to Gohan and grabbed his hand. "You must meet my team." She started pulling him with her.

Gohan was directed to the training room where the rest of the team was still waiting. They were now all standing around, wearing towels around their shoulders and drinking from water bottles. The warriors all got down on their knees, which puzzled Gohan for a second but then he realized that Tobney followed him into the room. They were bowing for the lord of the universe.

"At ease." Tobney waved their respect away.

Sianna smiled as she introduced her team to the half-saiyan. They all appeared to be eager to meet Gohan. Most of them were former slaves, ascended to the level of a soldier. The last to be introduced was the man with the bright eyes. There was almost a shine to them. He introduced himself as Brius.

"You're not in the squad, Brius. What are you doing here?" Tobney asked curiously.

The man shrugged. "I like training with these guys." He stated as his eyes momentarily moved to Sianna and the rest of the team.

"And I don't mind. Brius is a great fighter." Sianna added. "Though a little rough around the edges. I don't mind polishing that a little."

"Oh really?" Brius responded, his bright eyes focused on Sianna. "You think everyone is a little rough around the edges. Now what did you say about Lord Tobney just the other day? That he should polish his newest tech…."

"Shut up!" Sianna stepped closer and placed a hand over his mouth to stop him from talking. "Get me in trouble, will you." Comora raised an eyebrow. Tobney seemed surprised but he looked rather amused as well.

"OH really?" Brius was grinning widely. "That was _not_ my intention at all!"

Happy to play along, Tobney stepped closer. "So, what was that about my new technique?" He asked innocently.

"Nothing. He's lying." Sianna's arms were still around Brius but she was now pulled away as Tobney's strong pale hand curled around her upper-arm.

"Right. You know what, why don't you dismiss your team right now so that we can have a training? Just to see if you can find any flaws in my newest technique." Tobney suggested sweetly.

Sianna sent him a sweet smile. "I don't see a reason for that." She responded. "You can't train with me. Gohan just arrived. You need to entertain him." She tried to pull her arm from his grip. "So if you would just…. Let me…"

"I'm sure Gohan would love to join us." Tobney responded sweetly, still holding her arm. "For old times' sake. Dismiss your team, Sianna."

"But I…"

"Or I will."

Sianna gave him an annoyed glance but she turned and looked to her comrades. She realized Tobney didn't want to undermine her authority. That is why she had to dismiss her squad. "Dismissed, guys. I'll see you all later." Tobney released her after she said this.

"Yes, ma'am." The soldiers all bowed and left the room. They all appeared amused with the situation but they didn't say anything.

Brius snickered. "Have fun." He said in a sing-song voice.

"I'll find you." Sianna returned, staring at him.

Brius's eyes sparkled as he walked backwards so he could keep looking at her. "I'm counting on it." He taunted before he turned and walked away. Sianna's eyes followed him for a moment before she looked back to the two warriors next to her.

Sianna's yellow eyes studied the half-saiyan. "Aw man, you've grown up, Gohan." She stated. Gohan felt somewhat uncomfortable by this statement. "I mean," she made a face, "you were always a man in my eyes. But now you really are one."

"Thanks?" Gohan stated. "I was about to say the same about you. I've never seen you look so happy."

Sianna smiled. "I am. I really am."

Tobney scoffed. "Well, just wait until we're done with you." He responded. "Won't be so happy then."

Sianna crossed her muscled arms over each other. "I was sort of hoping you would forget about it." She stated.

"Why would I do that?" Tobney responded. "When was the last time we trained? Several days ago? That just won't do."

"I agree." Comora added. "I think you need your daily fix or you'll get too big for your shoes."

Sianna slowly shook her head as a disapproving expression appeared on her face. Gohan eyed his former comrades. "What am I missing here?" He asked as he looked to Sianna.

Her yellow eyes met his gaze. "No matter how much I've progressed," She stated, "I'm still not near their level." She pointed to them with her thumb. "And they like that a little too much. They think smacking me around will tone my attitude down."

Gohan couldn't help but grin. "Really? I would think past evidence proves that does not work on you."

"See!" Sianna gestured to Gohan. "He gets it. Why don't you?"

"I guess we really are just idiots?" Tobney suggested. Comora shrugged, thinking that could be right. "Still, let's spar."

"Yes!" Gohan agreed. "I'm excited to see how much you've progressed, Sianna."

Sianna's yellow eyes sparkled as she surveyed him. "Same here. I'm eager to fight you now that I can actually do so." She stepped back a couple of steps, using her energy to fly up so that she was flying backwards. "Follow me."

Gohan did so eagerly, almost automatically. Who was he to deny orders from such an amazing vision? The young warrior fell into a fighting stance, following her example. He studied her defense and immediately found himself surprised. This would be difficult to break through. It wasn't without faults but he could see how she would be able to block most of his attacks.

Gohan's eyes met her yellow orbs. He raised both his eyebrows at her, hoping it would be seen as an invitation to attack. He was a better defensive fighter after all. He was surprised once more as Sianna smiled in response and inclined with her head that he was to attack her.

Well, that was to be expected when encountering fighters who knew exactly what his own weaknesses and strengths were. Gohan decided it couldn't hurt to give her the advantage. The young warrior rushed towards her and tried to punch her. His expression changed when his first uppercut was blocked. Gohan moved to push his knee up to hit her stomach. Her hand was there to meet his knee.

For only a moment, the two were close to each other, staring into each other's eyes. Sianna narrowed her eyes before she tilted her head back and slammed her forehead into his. Gohan gasped as the flesh on his forehead split open easily. The young warrior closed his eyes automatically, leaving him open for her next attack. Her hands left his limbs and she whirled around in the air to kick him. The half-saiyan was launched backwards, falling down and skidding across the floor before he met the white wall.

Gohan was more surprised by the power in her punches than by the pain. How did she progress so much in so few years? The young warrior sat up, giving a surprised look to his ex. Sianna landed at his feet. She smiled sweetly. "Please don't underestimate me, Gohan. I worked too hard to be treated like that." She held out her hand to him.

Gohan accepted her hand so that she could pull him up. The half-saiyan couldn't help looking at Tobney. His best friend couldn't help but smile in response. Gohan had no idea what he got himself into.

The half-saiyan touched the obvious bruise on his jaw, still surprised by her strength. The young warrior realized that he did underestimate her. He gave her the advantage, thinking that she could use it. He automatically assumed he was the stronger fighter. She must have realized this would happen and she played his pride. That would not happen again.

"I'm sorry." He responded. "I won't do it again."

Sianna grinned in response. "Good. So, let's keep going." She was standing in front of him within a second. Her fist raced to his cheek but he moved up his own hand just in time to catch her punch. Sianna pulled back her hand to punch him again but Gohan blocked this one too. The two powered up together as they got into the fight, throwing and catching punches on high speed.

Tobney crossed his arms over each other as he watched the two warriors jump from place to place, fighting on high speed. "They fight well together."

Comora gave the two a scrutinizing glance. "There's something different though. They're not the same." He said. The lord of the universe gave him a questioning glance. "She's different. I didn't realize her opinion about him changed so much."

Gohan flew back to avoid her punches, allowing his body to drop down. She flew after him, following his every move. Sianna appeared to be a better offensive fighter. It appeared they were a perfect match. Gohan used his energy to jump from one place to another place. His energy peaked and he disappeared from her sight. Sianna used her senses to follow his energy. He may be travelling at the speed of light but his energy left traces. She whirled around just in time to catch his punch. Sianna pushed away from him and put her hands together to send a blast at him. Gohan followed her example, putting his hands together, and he caught the blast, making it disappear. The half-saiyan met Sianna's gaze and he couldn't help but be excited as he eyed her defense. He was enjoying the fight greatly and – looking at her expression – he knew she was too.

Tobney had his head tilted sideways as he studied the fight. The young warrior flexed and curled his fingers without realizing it. Comora noticed the gesture and he turned his attention to the youngster next to him. "Do you want to get stuck in, sir?"

Tobney's eyes moved to his former squad leader. "Not really." he responded lazily.

"Hmm, so you didn't just imagine making a fist and pounding it into Gohan's face as you were flexing your fingers just now?"

Tobney's blue orbs studied Comora's bright red ones as he uncrossed his arms. "You noticed that, huh?" Nothing ever got past that man.

"Did I notice the tendency you have to flex your fingers when you're eager to start something, which you've had since you were a mere scrawny brat of fifteen? Yes, sir, I did." Comora's tone of voice was gentle and so Tobney decided to let the slight go.

The lord of the universe smiled as he looked up to the fight. The young warrior could feel his fingers flex and curl once more and he decided that he may as well give in to his longings. The youngster glanced to Comora. "So, do you want to join in?"

Comora grinned in response. "Your wish is my command, sir."

Gohan and Sianna were locked in a fierce battle when they noticed the disturbance around them. Sianna couldn't help but smile. "We've got company." She stated as she eyed her former boyfriend.

Gohan grinned in response. "Of course. I wouldn't have expected anything less."

Sianna returned his grin before she whirled around to catch a punch from Tobney. The young woman grabbed his fist when he tried to punch her. Tobney pulled back his free arm to smash it into her but her hand curled around this limb as well. She gave him a smile as they made eye-contact.

Tobney returned the sentiment. "So, what did you have to say about my technique?"

Sianna tightened her grip on his arms when he tried to shake her off. "Can't forget about that, can you?"

"Of course I'm not going to forget an opportunity to set you straight."

Sianna narrowed her eyes momentarily in response. "Oh, wouldn't you love to do that. I almost feel bad for you. It will never succeed." She teased.

"I will keep trying." Tobney powered up and pushed her off. Sianna quickly wiped the sweat off her forehead before she motioned for Tobney to come at her. Her friend didn't need much more encouragement. He jumped straight at her, pushing his fists in her direction. She pushed the first few aside but had to move back to dodge the last one. Tobney followed her eagerly. He pulled back his arm as he aimed a punch at her. Sianna jumped back once more, turning in the air and moving up her leg to kick him. Tobney could only move up his arm to catch the kick. He pushed back against her and prepared another attack, hoping to catch her off-guard.

The fighters kept it going for a while. They were all eager to train and see how much damage they could inflict on each other. It wasn't long before they were disturbed.

"Hey! It's a party!" Suno called cheerfully as he headed into the room. The warriors in the air were distracted by the arrival of the group.

"And they managed to catch both the warrior princess and the little monkey boy!" Itoro added innocently. Gohan noticed how Sianna scoffed and crossed her arms over each other. She shook her head disapprovingly. "Congrats to lord Tobney and Comora for achieving that!" Suno, Itoro and Kaon applauded. Tobney made an exaggerated bow in response.

"I live to serve." Tobney responded. "Now, are you joining us, or what?"

The three warriors answered by jumping into the air and flying up to them. Sianna rolled her shoulders a few times and tilted her head from side to side to crack her neck. She was ready for round thirty. Gohan took a moment to stretch his arms. He curled his fingers together and turned his palms outwards as he stretched his arms forwards. This always felt like a good stretch for his hands and arms, and even his shoulders if he tried hard enough. He realized that this was going to be a long match.

And it was. The spar went on for hours. The members of the Suta Team were eager to train with Gohan, of course, but the latter also noticed Sianna got a lot of attention as well.

"Why are they so interested in sparring with you?" Gohan asked once they were done sparring. The half-saiyan watched as Sianna grabbed her water bottle. The female was sporting a bruised lip and her eye was damaged. That would probably turn blue, purple and yellow before turning back to her natural colour.

Sianna rolled her eyes. "Because they're idiots, haven't you noticed?" She approached him as she talked. "We don't spar that often anymore these days." She added as extra explanation.

Tobney overheard this exchanged and he chuckled. The man stepped closer. "Now, you should explain this properly, Sianna." Once he was close enough, he threw an arm around her shoulders. Sianna seemed annoyed but she allowed it. "You see, ever since Sianna got her own team, she's been training with them non-stop and she hasn't given us the opportunity to train with her anymore."

"She's just trying to get out of her beatings." Comora added from somewhere behind Gohan. The half-saiyan turned to look at the older man but Comora made no attempt to walk closer to them.

"Oh, right. And your black eye appeared out of nowhere, huh?" Sianna responded. Obviously, she was the one responsible for his colorful eye.

Comora grinned in response. "Sure, and what about your tendency to wear lipstick these days?"

Sianna reached up to touch her lips, feeling something wet there and she pulled back her hand to find blood on her fingers. Comora's comment was referring to the fact that one of his punches caused the blood coming from a wound on her lower lip. "Lucky shot." She countered. Comora laughed once more, finding her comment funny. Sianna pursed her lips in response but she didn't continue the banter with Comora. Her yellow eyes moved back to Gohan. "It's been a while since I got tricked into a spar with them."

Tobney seemed amused as he gently squeezed her shoulders. Sianna gave the briefest of smiles towards the lord of the universe and Gohan suddenly realized how strong their relationship had become over the years. For the briefest of moments, Gohan felt left out. His friends moved on without him.

Sianna moved her arm to push Tobney away. The lord of the universe allowed this to happen, still smiling, and he glanced to Gohan. "Let's get something to eat." He suggested. Gohan smiled in response and nodded. Tobney turned to the rest of the warriors and cupped his hands so he could call out to them. "Hey guys, we're going to get something to eat. Join us?"

Suno waved. "I'll come, sir."

"Me too, lord." Itoro added. Kaon voiced his agreement and he headed towards them.

While the others were approaching, Tobney looked to Sianna. The young woman seemed to hesitate as her eyes ran over the rest of the group. "Ah, come on, Sianna. Gohan's back." Tobney added as a reason for her to stay.

"I know," Sianna smiled in response, "but, the thing is, once you're in their company, it's difficult to get out of it." She said this quietly as she didn't want the others to overhear. Gohan could understand what she was saying. The members of the Suta Team had the tendency to hold someone hostage, especially when the hostage didn't want to be there. Gohan realized that Sianna probably tried very hard to stay out of there clutches most of the time. Whenever she failed to do so, she probably spend hours trying to get away from them.

"What is the hold up here?" The rest of the group reached them and now Suno glanced at the warriors.

"Sianna's getting cold feet." Tobney responded carelessly, throwing Sianna under the bus. She gave him a glare in response. Thanks a lot for that, she seemed to want to say.

"We can't have that, now can we?" Suno spread his arms, cornering Sianna by the mere suggestion of physical touch. He knew this was all that was needed to get her moving. She was smart enough to know that she had to stay out of their hands. "Let's get going, warrior princess"

"I'm not so sure." Sianna stepped back as he directed her. "I still have to..."

"You have nothing scheduled and nothing is as important as spending some time with the people that made you." Itoro returned easily. Sianna stepped sideways as Itoro appeared at Suno side, cornering her. The two men motioned for her to start walking. Sianna took a breath and she momentarily caught Tobney's eye. The man noticed this and he shrugged as if he was helpless.

"Made me, yeah right." Sianna countered. "You keep saying that but it's not true." She was walking backwards, to the doorway.

"It's not? Who helped you get through your exercises every day?" Itoro stated.

"Who told you to keep going even as you moaned and groaned through the routine." Suno added. He now looked to Itoro. "Do you remember how little she used to be. No muscle at all. And look at her now." He motioned to Sianna's muscled arms. "A fair bodybuilder."

Itoro pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes. "They grow up so fast."

Sianna's mouth was open as she was completely awed by how they managed to change the conversation. "How did you even..." She shook her head. "Fine. Let's just get going." She turned and left the room, annoyed.

The three male warriors followed her eagerly, calling out to their dearest little baby to come back to them. Gohan couldn't help but be amused as he followed the group. Tobney appeared at his side, seeming just as amused. "Does it feel familiar yet, Gohan?"

"Very." Gohan returned the grin he received from Tobney.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Only a few hours later, Gohan was standing in his own quarters, explaining how to prepare pancakes to Solarus and a camera. The half-saiyan found it weird to talk directly to a camera on a tripod. Apparently, a bunch of people were watching this live all over the universe. It made him feel somewhat awkward and nervous.

Right after the extravagant lunch they had after the training, the half-saiyan was told to take a shower and prepare for the livestream. Gohan couldn't help but feel familiarity as he was led to his own bathroom, was presented with an outfit to wear and afterwards guided to his own kitchen where he and Solarus discussed and prepared everything they needed to make pancakes. The sensation of familiarity brought him back to the days when Vegeta would prep him for press conferences.

"Why are we doing this?" Gohan asked before the livestream started. "Wouldn't training be more efficient if we're preparing for a war?"

"They need to know you're with us." Tobney responded, nodding. Comora appeared at Tobney's side. "So that they know we've got back up. The psychological war is half the fight these days."

Comora whispered something in Tobney's ear and the latter nodded in response. "Alright. We'll leave you two to it. You're in good hands." He smiled to Solarus and Gohan. "Good luck. I'll be watching the livestream whenever I can." He left the room with Comora after that.

Comora walked next to him for a few seconds before he glanced to Tobney. "So… When are you going to tell him the real reason why we invited him, sir?"

"Soon." Tobney responded briefly.

"I don't think you can fool him with this story much longer. He's a smart kid." Comora added.

"I know, Comora. I know. I'm just trying to find the right time." Tobney responded. The man lowered his gaze for a moment as he blew out a sigh. "He's going to kill me."

Comora inclined his head that he agreed. This didn't make Tobney feel any better.

Meanwhile, Videl joined Solarus and Gohan. She helped with the preparations and now she smiled as she wished Gohan good luck.

"Will you join us?" Solarus leaned forwards as she placed her hands on the kitchen island. "The more, the merrier – as you humans say." Her dark-blue hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forwards.

"No, thank you." Videl shook her head. "I'm not into being a celebrity. My father is one and I've always tried real hard to stay away from that stuff."

Solarus shrugged. "Suit yourself." She responded. "Invitation still stands." She stood up straight and glanced to Gohan. "Ready, handsome?"

Videl raised both her eyebrows briefly as she looked to Gohan too. The half-saiyan smiled in response. Solarus had changed for the better. She was more confident and she obviously enjoyed her life as it was right now. She was rich, healthy and she enjoyed her work. That was all one could ask for.

"Alright. We're going live in three minutes." Solarus checked her watch. "Let's go over the schedule for a bit before we start." She tapped on her phone and a projection of a schedule appeared in the air above it. They briefly went over the schedule. After this Solarus quickly checked their outfits and appearance. She briefly ruffled through Gohan's dark hair. "Your hair looks better when it's messy." She stated as she watched his confused expression. "Alright, let's do this."

"Live in five, four…" The camera woman was counting down out loud at first but then continued counting in silence as she signaled the numbers by holding up her fingers.

Right as the camera woman was done counting, Solarus made a smile appear on her face. Her entire appearance changed as she even stood more straight. "Hi guys! It's great to see you again today. As I mentioned before, we're here with Lord Gohan," she indicated to the half-saiyan next to her – who quickly smiled too, "and we're going to show you how to prepare a delicacy from one of the unknown planets he visited during his travels."

It went well. At least, that's what Solarus said afterwards. Gohan wouldn't know. The half-saiyan was happy it was over. It was weird to be back in his old room. Memories of his time as a soldier came back to him easily as he surveyed the room. He still wasn't sure whether he was glad to be back or not. He knew this mission would be a challenge for him and he had been craving a challenge for a while now. Still, he was sad that he had to leave his mother behind. He hated having to leave planet Earth. As with all big decisions, there was a good and a bad side. He just had to figure out whether the negatives outweighed the positives.

Gohan was invited to have dinner with Tobney that youngster looked around in the beautiful dinning room, easily remembering how he used to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner here with Vegeta. The room was still bright and airy. A row of round windows on their far side of the room showed the stars floating in the vacuum outside the ship. The room only had a long table standing in the middle. This table was decorated with dishes from all over the universe. These dishes were always a sight as they varied from a green soup with tentacles thrown over the edges of the bowl to bright purple pieces of meat covered in mouth-watering blue sauce. Gohan realized that he could see some of his favorite dishes and his heart swelled at Tobney's thoughtfulness.

The youngster arrived there only to find that Tobney was not the only one in the room. The half-saiyan could feel his heart lift as he saw the woman at the table. She smiled as she saw him, getting up to greet him. Her lavender hair was tied back in an elaborate braid and her brown eyes were warm as she saw half-saiyan was surprised by her appearance. Kanda's figure was showing that she was carrying a baby again. Her stomach was protruding so obviously that even Gohan could not avoid paying attention to it. The half-saiyan returned her hug but then hesitated as he looked to Tobney.

His best friend grinned in response. "I love that you automatically look at me." He teased lightheartedly. The youngster got up from the table as well and joined the other two. He placed a hand on Kanda's shoulder and allowed the other one to rest on Kanda's stomach. "Oh yes, she's expecting another baby."

"It's yours?" Gohan asked, glancing to his best friend. He couldn't help going over what he saw back on earth. He remembered seeing how Tobney's hand covered Solarus's as they smiled to each other. In a way, Gohan assumed Tobney and Solarus had gotten together while he had been away. He didn't expect to find out that Tobney was still involved with Kanda.

Kanda looked confused as she looked up to her husband. Tobney frowned as well. "Of course it is. Why would you ask something like that?"

Gohan hesitated. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I still need to adjust to being back here. And as the first one wasn't your decision," Gohan continued, "I didn't expect you two to want to have another child."

Tobney nodded once. "I guess you're right. We just figured that as we started this, we may as well continue." He smiled to Kanda, who returned a smile. "Besides, we've grown to love each other so now we're just doing what lovers do."

Gohan made a smile appear on his face. "Right, of course." He stated. "It's good to see you two have grown so fond of each other."

The couple seemed pleased with this answer. Kanda moved back to the lavishly decorated table. Meanwhile, Gohan briefly tugged on Tobney's uniform to hold him back. "What is going on here?" Gohan whispered to Tobney. "What about Solarus?"

Tobney gave him a confused glance. "What are you talking about?" He noticed Gohan's frown and he shrugged. "Solarus and I are friends. We've been for a while now. Kanda and I are married, remember? We love each other. That's been the same since you left."

Gohan pressed his lips together in response but he decided not to press the topic now. He nodded in response and released his friend. Tobney turned to walk back to the table. There, he joined Kanda and gave the female a gentle kiss. Kanda smiled in response, squeezing his hand. Gohan watched this as he settled on his chair. The half-saiyan still wasn't sure what conclusion to draw from the situation. However, as the evening proceeded, he noticed that Tobney avoided his eyes. His best friend was hiding something. And Gohan was going to find out what it was.


	14. Chapter 14: Secrets and Lies

**Hiya! Guess who's back! ^^**

 **Chapter 14. Secrets and Lies.**

"All right," Kanda had had enough for the evening and she got up, "I'm ready to go to bed. Do you gentlemen mind?" She asked, smiling.

Gohan and Tobney responded that they didn't mind and they both got up to say goodnight. Gohan gave Kanda a hug. She pulled back afterwards and studied him. "It's good to see you again, Gohan. I missed you."

"I missed you too." Gohan was being truthful. He really missed this beautiful young lady. She'd always been nice to him and it was good to see that she and Tobney were getting along well. "Good night."

"Good night. Don't keep Tobney away from me too long now." She gave Gohan a mock-strict glance before she turned to give Tobney a goodnight kiss. Gohan sat back down to in order to wait for them. Once Kanda was gone, Tobney raised his hand to one of the waiters. "A beer for me please. Gohan?"

"I'll have a beer too." Gohan agreed.

"Ah, look who is drinking like a real man." Tobney grinned at his best friend. He could still remember that Gohan used to drink mainly wine. It was a direct influence from Vegeta's drinking habits.

"Speaking of which," Gohan leaned on the table with his lower arms, "what is going on with you, Kanda and Solarus, Tobney?"

Tobney raised an eyebrow. His blue eyes studied the half-saiyan. "What are you talking about?" He seemed surprised by Gohan's question but Gohan could see the signs of nervousness. The manner in which Tobney didn't actually look him in the eye. Not straight. His eyes were focusing on Gohan's forehead.

The tall waiter placed the glasses on the table and the two warriors thanked him. Once the man was gone, Gohan looked back to his best friend. "You know what I'm talking about. I saw you holding Solarus' hand back on planet Earth. I see the way you two look at each other. Did you really think you could keep it a secret from me?"

Tobney was staring at his glass now. He was twisting the glass in his hands. "Is it really that obvious?" He muttered.

"Tobney, how could you?" Gohan could feel his voice was trembling with anger. "They don't deserve this. Solarus should not be having a secret relationship and Kanda should have a husband who loves her completely."

"I do love her completely." Tobney responded, frowning. He could feel the anger and disappointment coming from his friend and it was killing him. He wanted Gohan to understand. He wanted to show that he was doing nothing wrong.

"So Solarus is just a booty call?"

"No! I also love Solarus. Just in a different way." Tobney noticed the look he was receiving from his best friend. "Aren't you supposed to congratulate me since I'm fucking two beautiful women at the same time?" He said, somewhat annoyed at Gohan's attitude.

Gohan scoffed in response. "Sure, congratulations, you're officially an asshole."

A blush crept on Tobney's pale cheeks. It actually made him look somewhat healthier as he was usually very pale. The man took a sip from his beer, avoiding Gohan's frown. "You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me." Gohan responded. He wanted to understand why his best friend was being such a jerk to two of the nicest women he knew. Tobney didn't respond to this. "When did it start?"

Tobney lowered his gaze as he hesitated. "A week after my marriage."

"WHAT?" Gohan exclaimed. Tobney shushed him and looked around to make sure nobody was close enough to overhear their conversation. Gohan did the same before he turned to Tobney again and continued the conversation in a lower voice: "You started your affair a week after you marriage with Kanda? While I was still there?"

Tobney shrugged slowly. "It was just... I was rebellious. I didn't want the marriage with Kanda. This was our little secret. My decision." The young warrior blew out a sigh. "Right before the official ball during which we announced the engagement between me and Kanda, Vegeta showed me a video in which Solarus found me asleep on the couch. She didn't know the camera was there. She put a blanket over me, tucked me in and... she kissed me." A small smile appeared on Tobney's face. "I realized that she felt the same for me as I felt for her. I kept it secret for a while but then we returned from my marriage... That week had been horrible. I slept with Kanda every night. And that was nice... But I had to report back to Comora and Vegeta every day and I felt so violated... As if I had no control over my own body... And when I returned, Solarus and I got drunk together... And we just... We just did it... It just happened."

The lord of the universe looked up to realize Gohan was giving him a somewhat different look now. He figured Gohan was still feeling bad about not being able to help him avoid the arranged marriage. "Afterwards we told each other it wouldn't happen again. It wasn't fair to her and to Kanda. And we stayed away from each other for a while until we heard the news that Kanda was pregnant." Tobney scoffed as a bitter expression appeared on his face. "Vegeta was so happy. He kept congratulating me and all I wanted was to rip the smug smirk off his face. I ran straight back to Solarus. The affair with her was my act of rebellion... But then I started to spend more time with Kanda and I started to really like her. But I also really liked Solarus. I couldn't stay away from her. And now I'm stuck..."

Gohan lowered his gaze. In a way, as Tobney was telling it like this, he could understand. But it had to end. Tobney couldn't continue like this. "Why didn't you tell me, Tobney? Back then. I was there for you. You could have told me right after it happened for the first time. I would have helped you stay away from Solarus."

"But I didn't want to stay away from her. I wanted this affair. It was my decision." Tobney responded. "Besides, I was ashamed. You would have looked at me the way you're looking at me now."

Gohan didn't change his expression. "You have to choose, Tobney." He stated. Tobney slowly shook his head. "You know you have to. You cannot keep going like this. Kanda is going to find out. It will ruin your relationship with her."

"Right, and divorcing her will not ruin our relationship, right?" Tobney said sarcastically.

"Not if you do it right."

"I don't want to divorce her." Tobney responded, shaking his head.

"Then break it off with Solarus."

"I don't want to do that either." Tobney said stubbornly. Gohan gave Tobney a pointed look. His best friend frowned back. "This is my decision to make, Gohan. Not yours. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"You're right." Gohan pressed his lips together for a moment. "But just..." He took a breath. "Think about it."

"Fine." Tobney said in a manner that betrayed he probably wouldn't do so. "I will consider it."

Gohan gave his friend a weak smile. Tobney turned his attention back to his beer. The two friends drank their drinks in silence, uncomfortable with the air around them. They were aware of the silence but they just didn't really know what to say. So they stayed silent.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

The following morning, Gohan was getting ready to have yet another training. It was only his second day but he felt like he'd been here longer. Yesterday, he'd gone from the spar to the lunch to the live stream and then he had the awkward dinner with Kanda and Tobney. It had been a long day and Gohan was woken up quite early to meet the Suta Team for a spar.

He met Videl in the living room. She was eager to get to her first spar. Apparently, they left her alone yesterday so that she could come to terms with being on the ship. If only he was so lucky... Videl looked as if she belonged in her long dress-like armor with long spikes reaching downwards to her knees. She was wearing blue leggings under the armor and white boots. Gohan himself was quite comfortable turning to a blue uniform and basic white armor this morning. It felt good to just throw something on without really caring how it looked.

The two warriors arrived to find Comora was already there. "Oh, you're early?" Comora stated, surprised. "You must have a good influence on Gohan, Videl. He tends to be late."

"That's not true." Gohan responded. He was used to combating Comora and his first instinct was to deny any of the man's claims.

Comora gave Gohan a pointed look. "The rest of the team is always late." He complained. "I honestly don't know what to do with them." He blew out a sigh. "Why don't you two start stretching for a bit until they're here."

Sianna was the first to arrive. Her short brown hair was up in a small ponytail today. Comora greeted her with the proper warmth that she was used to getting from him. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I heard you were having a training session today and I figured I could join. You're not going to kick me out, are you?" She tilted her head sideways, allowing the hair in her ponytail to fall sideways. Comora waved her comment away before he gestured to the large training room. Sianna took this as her invitation to stay. The young woman's yellow eyes focused on Videl for a moment. "Who's this?"

"I am Videl. I'm from planet Earth." Videl reached out to shake Sianna's hand, which the latter accepted.

"From Earth? Oh, you're Gohan's current girlfriend?" She assumed, looking from Videl to Gohan. "I heard about you from the others."

Gohan assumed the Suta Team told her these lies. The young warrior slowly shook his head. How were they already spreading wrong rumours about him? Videl shook her head too as she waved a hand to negate the rumour. "No, we're just friends." She stated.

"Oh..." Sianna was silent for a moment, "why though?" She asked, looking to Videl. "I mean, look at him. And let me tell you, he's a great kisser, and," she stepped closer to Videl while placing her hand against the side of her own mouth as if she was going to tell Videl a secret, "he's a giver in bed. There are rumors that Saiyans take their lust for battle to the bedroom and that is definitely tr-"

"Hey!" Gohan called, annoyed. "That's enough, Sianna." She was giving away too much personal information. He didn't want Videl or Comora to know about his preferences in bed.

His ex-girlfriend was still smiling as she shrugged to Videl. The latter gave one quick glance to Gohan, who was now blushing a little. "You must be Sianna. The ex."

"Guilty as charged." Sianna responded cheerfully. "You're a fighter too, aren't you? I want to spar with you." She decided this as she studied the warrior in front of her. "See if you're good enough for my ex."

"I won't disappoint you." Videl returned, finding the banter between the warriors intriguing and fun. She could see where Gohan learned it.

"We'll see about that." Sianna turned to walk to the center of the room. There she briefly kicked her leg back and caught her lower leg around her ankle so she could stretch the muscles in her leg. Videl eagerly followed her while she waved her arms in circles to loosen them.

"Forget about that!" Comora called over. "Stretch properly first." Sianna and Videl gave him defiant glances. They wanted to get started on their spar as soon as possible. "My training room. My rules."

Gohan watched with some amazement as Videl and Sianna obeyed him and started to stretch. Comora eyed the two for a moment before he shook his head and turned back to his own stretches. "Women are so hard to control." Comora complained. "I prefer having a group of tough men who know their place and mindlessly follow my orders without questioning them every time."

Gohan couldn't help but be amused. "Longing back to Tobney and me, huh?"

Comora eyed his comrade for a moment. "Honestly, you two were not half the trouble Sianna is on her own. And I can see Videl is more like her than I realized at first. We were asking for trouble when we asked her to come with us."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan was interested in the dynamics between Sianna and her team. This curiosity was quite obvious as he followed her to the training room. Sianna invited him during the training they had earlier. The young woman was eager to show him her world, her team. The group was already waiting for them when they arrived. Sianna greeted them all cheerfully and the warriors nodded their heads to show her respect.

"All right. Gohan is joining us today so please go easy on him." Sianna said cheerfully. The warriors all showed smiles in response to this comment. The half-saiyan took up a position near the rest of the group - facing Sianna. "I had a meeting with lord Tobney yesterday and due to circumstances we're not going on a mission for at least a month. This doesn't mean we can slack off during our training. I want to get the most out of these peaceful times. It means we have more than enough time to recover from any injuries. So, I want you to go at each other hard." This drew more smiles from the group.

"So, today's training will be a free for all. Everything is permitted. Flying, energy use, go at it. Miko, keep an eye on your right hand. It tends to clench right before you launch an attack. It will give you away. Guys, make sure you take advantage of that. It's the best way to teach Miko not to do it. Ak, same for you, your right side is always open. Make sure it's not this time."

"Yes, Sianna." The two soldiers said in response to her comments. Sianna smiled. "Great. Let's get to it!"

The warriors all flew up to start the training. Gohan studied the group. They were all trained well. It was easy to see. A warm sensation traveled through his body as he realized how proud he was of Sianna for creating a team of this caliber. She obviously knew what she was doing.

The half-saiyan noticed that Sianna was allowing her team to get to know him. She moved her attention to someone else so that her subordinates could focus on him. He was confronted by one of the male warriors. The man's dark golden fist moved up to punch him but Gohan managed to turn his head sideways just in time to avoid being hit. Gohan used their now very close proximity and he moved his leg up to knee the Ak in his stomach. This took his opponent by surprise, allowing Gohan to move his own hands together and slam them down on the Ak's head. The half-saiyan watched as the man fell down to the ground. He stepped back to give his opponent some room to recover. Ak didn't need long though and was soon on the offence again. Good, that's how Gohan liked his opponents the most.

The training went on for a while. Gohan fought several of Sianna's underlings and he was pleasantly surprised by their skills. He even struggled to defend himself at times, which was quite interesting considering their power levels were considerably lower than his.

However, Sianna could not ignore him for too long. Her yellow eyes confronted him not long later. She smiled as she stood opposite him. "Hi, there. Fancy meeting you here."

"Ready for round two?" Gohan asked, referring back to the fight they had several days ago.

"Always." Sianna pulled back a fist and tried to punch him. Gohan thought this was actually quite easy to block and it surprised him. He realized very quickly that this attack was supposed to distract him from the real danger - her other fist was aiming for his stomach. The half-saiyan caught her fist just in time to stop her. She smiled at him. "You leave openings in your defense, Gohan. Have you slacked off?"

This worried Gohan for a moment as the other warriors said similar things yesterday. Was he really slacking off? He certainly hoped not. The half-saiyan frowned and pushed the female warrior back. Sianna still had that annoying smile on her face as she beckoned for him to attack her. Gohan disappeared from his position and reappeared behind Sianna. She already realized what he was planning and she made herself smaller to avoid getting punched by him. The young woman moved up her leg and kicked behind her-using the momentum of her kick to turn around. Gohan managed to avoid the kick by jumping up in the air. He put his hands together to slam them down on Sianna's head but she was already holding up her arms in a cross to catch the attack. Pushing him away, she bent through her knees to follow him up. Gohan was forced backwards by the push and he allowed gravity to pull back back while he moved up his leg to kick her. Sianna dodged his kick but had to slow down in the process. This gave Gohan a moment to somersault backwards and land on his feet. The half-saiyan pushed off again and attacked her head on.

A little while later, Sianna was the first one to notice the new visitor to the training room. She smiled brightly and waved at Brius. Gohan looked over to the man as well. Sianna grinned once he was close enough. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Making sure it's with the rest of his crap." Brius returned easily. "And, look, I am." He gestured to Sianna, who only grinned even wider in return. Sianna blinked as she seemed to realize Gohan was still here.

"You two already met, right?" Sianna asked.

"Yep, yesterday." Brius responded. "Good to see you again, Gohan."

"Likewise." Gohan stated. The young warrior glanced to Sianna when she suggested that they continue the training with Brius. Gohan didn't mind very much. He wanted to see how well this warrior could fight. The half-saiyan noticed the look he received from the other man and he was briefly surprised. Clearly, the sentiment went both ways.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

It was only a few hours after the training with Sianna's team that Gohan was curled up on the couch in the common elite quarters. The young warrior was reviewing his training with Brius. The man was very competitive towards him. Gohan wasn't sure why. Maybe Brius wanted to impress Sianna by defeating her former boyfriend? It had only been a couple years since he left the army but he wasn't sure how much the current army knew about their old relationship. There had been a lot of changes in the lineup since he left. Many soldiers left when they realized the army was turning a new leaf. He assumed Sianna told him about their relationship... But why would she?

"Tobney, I swear, If you make me do this one more time, I'll start destroying cameras on sight." Sianna made everyone look up as her voice carried into the room. Tobney and Comora followed her closely, almost crowding her into the room.

"Don't be so dramatic." Tobney responded, frowning as he followed her. "It's just one video a week. Nothing more."

"I don't want to do this anymore." Sianna complained as she turned to look at him. "I'm not just some puppet you can use whenever you want to."

"At least not a quiet one." Tobney returned easily. "A real puppet wouldn't make so much noise every time I ask something of her." Sianna gave him a hard stare in response to this. She crossed her arms over each other.

"You know what happens if you say no, Sianna." Comora added, stepping closer too. Sianna now turned her death-glare to him. "And we all know you don't want that to happen so you may as well say yes now."

Sianna took a deep breath, her chest rising as she did so, and let out a sigh. "You can't keep doing this to me, Tobney."

"Ah, come on. I'm not asking you to kill anyone. I'm asking you to be in a video. With Solarus. It's to encourage women to try out for the army." Tobney continued. "You want that too, right?"

Gohan looked to Solarus, who shrugged and smiled in response. She seemed to know what was going on and she also seemed used to this situation. Sianna was already responding to Tobney's statement: "Of course I want that, but, I never wanted to be your little poster girl for the female soldier. Why can't you use Solarus?"

"Solarus is not an active soldier." Tobney responded, frowning. "She can't really represent the female soldier."

"Oh, and I can? Cause I'm such a typical female, right?" Sianna complained. "Men and their sexist ways."

Tobney considered Sianna for a moment before he blew out a sigh. "Sianna, you're doing this whether you want it or not. Now, let Solarus get you ready for the video. It will just take an hour or so and you'll be done."

Sianna let out a disgruntled sound but she nodded in response. "Fine." She hadn't said the word properly yet or Solarus already jumped up - shrieking cheerfully - and headed in Sianna's direction.

"Great! Let's get you prepped for the video." Solarus said as she took Sianna's hand and pulled her along. Sianna was glaring at Tobney as she followed Solarus out the room.

Tobney slowly shook his head before he turned to walk to the couch on which Gohan was seated. "Such a handful." Tobney complained.

Gohan shrugged. "Think about how you felt when you had to suffer through press conferences for your arranged marriage." He could remember very well how much Tobney hated those functions. It couldn't hurt for Tobney to think back to those times in order to feel a little more compassion for Sianna.

Tobney gave his best friend an annoyed glance. "It's not the same." He responded.

"No?"

"No, I was forced into something I didn't want to do."

"Sianna is too."

"And the prepping was horrible for me because I'm a man and we are not supposed to wear makeup."

"And Sianna is supposed to wear makeup because she's a woman?"

Tobney pressed his lips together for a moment as he noticed the look Gohan was giving him. "I know what you're thinking but that's how the universe works, Gohan."

"And that will never change if even the leader of the universe cannot set a good example."

His best friend scoffed before he got up. "Unbelievable, you haven't even been here two days and you're already lecturing me on how to run my army." He complained. Gohan opened his mouth to respond but Tobney held up his hand. "No, you're right." He raised his hand up further and pressed a button on his scouter. "Sianna, you don't have to wear makeup or a dress for the video. Just appear as you want to appear." His gaze softened as he listened to her response. "That's all right. Let's just get this over with, okay?" The man was silent for a moment as he met Gohan's gaze. The half-saiyan gave him an encouraging smile. Tobney suddenly laughed. "Sure, you can train with Solarus this week." he responded. Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I'll make it happen." Tobney said before he signed off.

"What was that about?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Solarus trains to keep her slim physique. She tends to train with a personal trainer. Usually it's someone of the Suta Team. Sianna only asks if she can train with Solarus when she has a score to settle with the latter. She'll make Solarus go through hell during the training." Tobney explained as he sat down.

Gohan grinned in response. He could imagine Sianna being a terrible trainer. "Poor Solarus. Why did you agree?"

"Self-preservation." Tobney responded. "Let those two focus on torturing each other so they cannot torture us."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"ATTACK!" A young girl with brown irises and tiny blue pupils ran while holding a small toy-figure in her hand. She raised it up high and slammed it down on another toy.

"NO." Gohan exclaimed as he made his figurine lay flat on the ground. "I'm not finished yet." The figurine got up and Gohan made it fly up in the air again. "Return attack!"

Kato gasped out loud, her brown eyes big as she made her figurine dodge Gohan's attack. "I will not lose!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Sneak attack!" A second child suddenly jumped on Gohan's back. The half-saiyan was not surprised at all as he'd felt her energy level approaching him. The half-saiyan pretended to be shocked as he looked back.

"Oh no! I've been caught!" He wasn't sure when the battle moved from the figurines to them but he didn't mind too much. "I must run!" He got up and, wrapping his tail around Niya's waist to make sure she wouldn't fall, ran across the room. Niya laughed with glee in response but soon she remembered her mission. "Die!" She slammed a tiny fist down on his shoulder. Gohan staggered because of her fatal attack and he gently sank through his knees. His tail placed Niya on the ground.

"You got me." Gohan blew out a sigh before he lowered his head and closed his eyes, falling completely silent.

Kato and Niya now stepped closer to him. "Uncle Gohan?" Kato asked quietly. Niya showed wide eyes as she approached the young Saiyan and gently poked him with her finger.

"Uncle Gohan? Are you sleeping?"

Gohan didn't respond. Kato's lavender hair was tied up in two braids and she now grabbed one them to fidget with it. A nervous tendency she inherited from her father. "Do you think we deaded him?" She asked, glancing to Niya.

"No... He just fell asleep. We played a lot." Niya answered wisely.

"Let's wake him up!" Kato nodded.

Gohan couldn't contain himself any longer and he opened his eyes, throwing his arms up and throwing out a "Boooo" The two girls screamed as they jumped back, shocked by his sudden outburst. Gohan couldn't help but laugh when they sent him angry glances.

The twins looked at each other and they both nodded. Niya created a fist and she moved it to her open palm in a threatening gesture. Kato voiced her opinion: "It's payback time!" The two girls launched their warrior cries before they attacked their uncle. Gohan jumped up and ran away.

"You'll have to catch me first!" He yelled over his shoulder. The two girls followed him, screaming at the top of their lungs. Gohan left the quarters Tobney and Kanda shared with their kids and he ran into the hallway. The youngster smiled as he heard them following him. Gohan widened his eyes when he saw Tobney. "Tobney! Save me!"

The man raised an eyebrow. He was just talking to Comora quietly as they walked the hallways, planning on visiting Gohan and his daughters. He was surprised to see the threesome coming to meet him. Gohan ran around Tobney and hid behind him. He considered Tobney to be on his side but this appeared to be a misgiving as Kato pointed to him and called out: "Catch him, daddy!"

Tobney turned around and tried to grab Gohan's wrist. The half-saiyan jumped back just in time. He stepped back and shook his head. "Too slow, Daddy." Gohan teased as he stepped back. Tobney's mouth twisted into a smile, amused at the comment, and he made another grab for the half-saiyan.

Gohan turned and continued to run away, hearing that Tobney waited for his daughters before helping them with the hunt. Where to go? Gohan wasn't sure where he could go. The youngster turned a corner, temporarily lost from the sight of the others, and he turned to the first office room he could find. The half-saiyan tried the door but it was locked. He pulled out the master-key he received from Tobney when he first arrived on the ship. The half-saiyan used it to open the door and he threw it open. The half-saiyan ran in the office room but he stopped when he realized there were two others there.

The two were locked in an embrace. She was sitting on a desk, one of her legs locked around his hips, as her head was tilted sideways, eyes closed in bliss. He was hugging her to him, his face nuzzled in her neck, obviously kissing her skin. The half-saiyan could briefly feel something weird in his chest as he staggered to a stop. For a second, he realized they were too wrapped up in each other to notice him and he wanted to leave, but, before he could do so, Tobney and his daughters ran into the room.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **;)**


	15. Chapter 15: Broken Hearts

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **#TooLazyToAddTheLastFewParagraphsOfThePreviousChapter...**

 **Chapter 15. Broken Hearts.**

This caught their attention. Sianna gasped out loud: "Oh no!" She pushed Brius away. The man turned to look and he gasped too as he moved to grab the armour he discarded during their passionate moment.

"Auntie Sianna!" Kato ran towards the two warriors who were quickly trying to put themselves back together. Gohan glanced sideways and noticed Tobney was giving the two a surprised stare. Apparently, Tobney didn't know about this either.

"Hey guys." Sianna smiled at the two girls. "What's going on?"

"We were catching uncle Gohan!" Niya said excitedly. "He was evil. So we had to punish him!"

"Oh really?" Sianna's yellow eyes moved up to Gohan briefly. "I'll believe that."

Tobney's expression had metamorphosed into an angry one. He was staring at the two warriors while he spoke. "Gohan, take my daughters out of the room please."

"Tobney," Sianna stated, but she stopped talking when Tobney moved up his hand to stop her. The young woman crossed her arms over each other and sat back on the desk again.

"Gohan, please." Tobney repeated.

Gohan nodded once and he turned to the girls. "I thought you were supposed to catch me? Look at me," he spread his arms, "still running loose."

"Oh right!" Kato turned away from her auntie to look at Niya. "We should attack." She whispered to her sister. Niya nodded in response and the two girls narrowed their eyes at Gohan before they released their warrior cries once more and ran at him. Gohan left the room, taking the two screaming girls with him.

Tobney closed the door behind them. The man's blue eyes focused on the other man in the room first. "Brius, you're fired."

Brius widened his bright eyes. "What?"

"Tobney, you can't do that." Sianna responded.

"I can and I just did. I am the leader of the army. Your boss. I decide who stays and who goes. And I don't need soldiers who sneak around behind my back." Tobney turned to look at Brius again. "Go to your squad. Tell them the news and pack your things. I want you to leave tomorrow."

"Lord Tobney, please, don't do this." Brius said weakly. He wasn't sure when this got so serious.

"Leave. Now." Tobney pointed to the doorway. Brius hesitated but he followed Tobney's order and left the room. Tobney now set his blue eyes on Sianna. The young warrior noticed this and she assumed a defiant attitude. It angered Tobney even more.

"Don't give me that look, Tobney." Sianna stated, "I have every right to be in a relationship."

"Why did you keep it a secret from me?"

"Not just from you. Nobody knows." Sianna responded. "I couldn't tell you. Everyone here assumed I was reserved for Gohan when he returned. Whenever I got even close to any man, you or one of the others were there to cut it down. I really like Brius. I didn't want to ruin it."

"But what about Gohan?"

"Gohan was the love of my life. But it was puppy love." Sianna responded. "My feelings for Brius are different."

"Puppy love? Are you saying you don't love Gohan anymore?" Tobney asked, frowning.

"And he doesn't love me anymore." Sianna added. "I saw it in his eyes. His affections shifted to the human. You know it as well as I do." She clenched and relaxed her fists as she spoke. "We knew this separation would destroy us, Tobney. We knew our relationship wouldn't survive the breakup." Her eyes seemed to harden as she spoke. "Everyone knew it. Gohan and I were not meant to stay together. We needed to draw strength from each other to rise up against Vegeta but that was all that life had in the cards for us. And then we separated. Comora knew it. The guys knew it..." She took a breath. "I'm afraid you were the only one who tried to hold on to the old world... The world in which Gohan and I were a thing. The world before you took over the army."

Tobney's eyes were wide as he slowly shook his head. "I didn't... I'm not..." He was silent for a moment. He seemed to recollect his thoughts. "Does everyone think that? That I want to go back to that time? Because I don't! I was a prisoner too, remember?"

"I'm not saying you want to go back to that part of your previous life... Just that it was all easier then. The part in which you could hang out with Gohan in the evenings, the comfort of letting your days be led by someone else, not having to make the decisions you have to now." Sianna gave a weak shrug. "Life was easier."

"Life sucked." Tobney said passionately. Sianna lowered her gaze and let out a sigh, almost as if she was disappointed by his response. Tobney pressed his lips together. He didn't like seeing Sianna sad. "But I shouldn't force the same rules on my subordinates now." He added in a gentler voice. "You're right. I'm sorry, Sianna."

Sianna looked up, surprised by this turnaround. Tobney smiled in response. "I just hate that I wasn't there for the first date, first kiss." The man clicked his tongue. "Damn, I missed a lot. You two were getting hot and heavy in here. It's seems like yesterday that I found you butt-naked in bed with Gohan."

The blushes on Sianna's cheek added to Tobney's amusement. The younger warrior narrowed her eyes. "Great. This is another reason why I don't tell you guys about these things."

Tobney chuckled in response. "Very smart." He responded. The man gasped before he turned around. "Just wait till the others hear about this!"

"Tobney!" Sianna watched with wide eyes as Tobney hurried out the room. "Wait! No! Don't tell them!"

 ******* DBZ ***** DBZ *******

The following morning, Gohan was curled up on the couch in his quarters. He still wasn't sure what to think of what happened yesterday and how he was supposed to feel about it. It was weird, he thought seeing Sianna with another man would be like torture to him. He thought he would feel bad... And he did... It just didn't feel as bad as he expected it to.

The young warrior was frowning slightly as he thought about this. He almost immediately got a reprimand from Solarus for it. "Don't frown like that, Gohan. It will ruin your looks." The half-saiyan scoffed in response to her statement. She and Tobney were sitting at the high kitchen table. They were discussing an upcoming dance in which Solarus was to announce a new clothing-line she designed. It was a line especially designed for female soldiers and it was supposed to be both beautiful and practical. Gohan wasn't sure how she was going to pull that off. He wasn't allowed to see it. She wanted keep it as a surprise.

"Even if I frown for one second?" Gohan challenged in response. Tobney reached out for his coffee, choosing to let them fight this out.

"Yes, it will crease into your forehead, and even though the bangs suit you, you won't be able to hide the creases when they come." Solarus pointed to him. "And, as I said, you're too cute to let wrinkles ruin your looks."

"Hear hear." Tobney added innocently. Gohan met the eyes of his friend briefly. Being called "cute" wasn't really a compliment for him. He always felt like it diminished his masculinity. Tobney knew that and it was exactly why his friend encouraged Solarus's words.

"You're frowning at me now." Gohan responded.

"I know." Solarus reached up and gently touched her own forehead. "Look what you made me do. Now I'll look old."

Tobney reached out and grabbed her hand to pull it away from her forehead. "It will take a lot more than just a few frowns to do that to you, Solarus." He stated sweetly. She smiled at him as he held her hand until she seemed to realize where they were and she quickly pulled her hand free. Tobney seemed shocked as he pulled his hand back too.

Gohan's smile was now gone as he studied his friends. Solarus cleared her throat before she got up. "Alright, I think we're done here." She closed her laptop and picked it up. "I'll work on out-lining my plans for the launch and we'll meet again to discuss them, okay sir?"

Tobney nodded once in response. "Sounds good. I'll see you later."

Solarus smiled in response. "See you later, sir. Later, Gohan." She greeted before she turned to leave the room.

"Later." Gohan responded as he watched her leave. The half-saiyan now looked back to Tobney.

His friend held up his hand. "Don't look at me like that."

"One more slip up like that in front of the others and they'll know, Tobney." Gohan warned.

"I kept it a secret for years while you were gone, Gohan. I'm not going to mess up now." Tobney returned before he got up and turned to the refrigerator. The man retrieved a beer from the fridge.

"A little early for alcohol, isn't it?"

Tobney opened the bottle and took a sip from it in response. "Do you pride yourself on being a buzz-kill, Gohan?" He returned. Banter between them was easy. They were used to it. He could handle locking verbal horns with his friend.

"Only when you're around." Gohan returned easily. The half-saiyan smiled when his friend sent him a mock glare.

The two men were distracted by the appearance of Videl. The young woman looked quite broken as she stumbled in the room. Her clothing was torn and her face was bruised. She was sporting a split lip and a black eye.

Sianna appeared behind her. "Delivery." She said cheerfully. The soldier didn't look half as beaten up as her opponent did. "I wanted to make sure she got here."

"I'm fine." Videl responded, annoyed. "I just need a shower." She walked to her own room after that.

Sianna seemed oblivious to the looks she received from her friends. She smiled at Tobney. "Toss me one." She said, indicating to the beer bottle.

Tobney didn't even move as he sipped from his bottle. "Once you show me proper respect."

Sianna rolled her eyes. "I'll get my own then. It's not worth bolstering your massive ego." She returned. Tobney slowly shook his head in a disapproving manner.

Gohan frowned at the young woman. "You shouldn't be so hard on Videl."

"Why not?" Sianna responded as she opened the fridge. "I remember you were beaten up even worse when you first joined the army."

"So I know what it feels like." Gohan responded. "And you should know too. I can remember you didn't like it when we were too rough on you while we were training for the uprising."

Tobney chuckled. "Whining after 12 push-ups." He teased. A small smile appeared on Gohan's face as he remembered how she used to complain when they got too hard on her.

Sianna frowned. "I for one can remember you didn't care back then." She continued. "So why should I care now? Besides, that's how it works in this company. Tough love."

Gohan couldn't help but smile as he heard her describe the general attitude of the people they knew here. He couldn't agree more. The people here showed their affection by beating their friends to an inch of their lives but not actually making the kill. The moment one of the other warriors decided not to kill you, you knew they liked you. It was weird but it was also an easy way of living. He always knew what to expect from his friends here. And Gohan generally didn't mind the sentiment. He was used to it.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

It was the following day when Gohan's theory about the attitude of the army was tested. Tobney and the other members of the Suta Team were in a meeting while Videl and Solarus were training together. Gohan didn't feel like joining either of the activities and so he found himself wandering around the ship. The young warrior wasn't sure where he wanted to go. He wandered into the bar, thinking he could get a drink before he continued his walk. The bar was one of the most surprising areas of the ship. While most of the ship had an interior of white walls and floor, the bar was darker. The walls were a dark-blue shade, which seemed to shimmer when the disco lights went on during the night shifts. The floor was the same dark colour and the pitch-black bar had moving pictures of constellations as decoration.

The young warrior raised an eyebrow when he noticed someone he knew was there already. Gohan approached the young woman and he noticed her hand was curled around a wine glass. The man was even more surprised by this. He didn't often see Sianna drink. The half-saiyan sat down next to her. "Hi, how are you?"

"Great." Sianna sipped from her drink. "Just great."

Gohan realized from the way she was slurring her words that this was not her first drink. "So great that you need to enhance the greatness with alcohol?"

"Alcohol makes everything better." She answered, nodding. "In fact, I'll have another one." She raised her hand and pointed to her wine glass. The bartender nodded and got to fixing her another drink. "Do you want one too?"

"No thanks, I'll have yours." Gohan responded sweetly.

Sianna frowned in response-not getting what he was implying. However, the meaning became all too clear when the bartender placed the new drink in front of her and Gohan snatched it up before she could. "Hey!" Sianna complained.

"I think you've had enough." Gohan responded, before he took a sip from the drink.

"I disagree." Sianna returned. "Give it back to me."

"This is an army. We take what we want. You can try to take it back." Gohan knew he was being mean to her, especially as she made a drunk attempt at grabbing the glass from him. A smirk was present on his face as he moved his glass away just before her hand reached it.

Sianna noticed the grin on his face and she frowned at him. "You're messing with me." she accused.

"Just a little bit." Gohan responded.

The female warrior slowly shook her head in a disapproving manner as she sat up and returned to her own half-empty drink. "Jerk." She muttered.

Gohan couldn't help but smile as he sipped from the wine. "So, what's going on?" There was definitely a reason for her current state. She wasn't one to get drunk without a real reason.

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on, Sianna. I wasn't born yesterday." He complained. Sianna still didn't respond. She just stared at her wine glass before taking another sip. "You can tell me." Gohan pressed.

"Do you think I'm too much trouble?" Sianna stated - her bright yellow eyes meeting his gaze.

Gohan raised an eyebrow in response. Was Sianna trouble? Yes, she definitely was. She was the most trouble he'd ever experienced in a girlfriend or friend in general. He remembered how often she either got him in trouble or they got in trouble together. He would have not had a lot of beatings if she wasn't his friend. But she was worth it. "No." He responded. "Did someone tell you that?"

"He thinks I'm too much trouble." Sianna continued. Gohan now understood what was going on. This was about Sianna's boyfriend and something that happened between them. "That I'm too complicated. He didn't like that our relationship put him on the spot and that it got him on the bad side of our boss."

"Tobney?" Gohan guessed as the "boss". Sianna nodded in response. "So, tell him to get used to it. That's just how it is when he's dating someone from the elite team."

Sianna was slowly shaking her head. "No need. He dumped me."

Gohan closed his eyes for a second - feeling like an idiot. Of course this was about a broken heart. That's why she was so upset. "So, that's why you're getting drunk here?"

"I'm getting drunk because I don't want to be the typical girl, crying for her lover." She answered. "So I'm drinking to forget him."

"It's quite a temporary solution though." Gohan said in response. The half-saiyan reached up a hand when his scouter went off and answered the call from Tobney. "Hi Tobney..." He was silent as he listened to the response. "No I'm at the bar with..." He hesitated when Sianna shook her head and waved her arms to sign him to stop. "...Sianna. Come join us."

Sianna was glaring at him as he signed off. "What about my hand-waving and shaking my head did you not understand?"

"I have a feeling I could use the backup if I'm going to get you back to your room safely." Gohan responded sweetly.

She scoffed in response as she took a sip from her drink. "That's just what I need. You two manhandling me to my room."

"We never manhandled you..." The half-saiyan noticed the pointed look he was getting from her and he realized that they did actually used to manhandle her whenever they felt like punishing her. "...often." He added innocently. "Honestly, Sianna, if he dumped you then he's an idiot. I could easily point out a thousand guys who would like to take his place."

"Except for you." Sianna said, looking at him. Gohan pressed his lips together. She was right about that. He loved her, he really did. But he was not in love with her anymore. "But are you too much trouble for her? You're practically in the same position as I am in." She raised her hand to order another drink. Gohan's attention was drawn to the entrance and he raised his hand to beckon Tobney to come closer.

The leader of the army smiled as he sat down next to Sianna. "Hi you two... Oh..." He caught sight of Sianna. "What's going on here?"

"Don't tell him, Gohan." Sianna warned when Gohan opened his mouth to respond. The half-saiyan closed his mouth. "You are not needed here, Tobney. Please leave."

"But I just got here." Tobney responded sweetly. The man noticed the glass of wine that the bartender put in front of the young woman and he grabbed it before she could get to it.

"Hey!" Sianna complained. Gohan quickly grabbed his own before she could get to it. The two boys neatly avoided her grabs for the glasses but they did manage to toast their drinks before they started drinking. Sianna let out an annoyed groan. "You two are so annoying." She complained.

"Cut her off." Tobney stated to the bartender when she raised her hand to order another drink.

The bartender now got a good look at Tobney and he widened his eyes for moment before he muttered "yes, lord" and made himself scarce.

"No," Sianna stated, "don't listen to him. Come back." She let out a sigh when the bartender ignored her entirely. "You shouldn't abuse your power like that, _lord_ Tobney."

"It's for a good cause." Tobney responded before he sipped from his wine. "So, are you going to tell me why we're having a drinking party at three in the afternoon?"

"No." Sianna shook her head. "You're part of the problem."

"What?" Tobney looked from Sianna to Gohan and back. "What did I do?"

Sianna turned to him. "You fired him!" She complained. "And then you called him back in and told him he could have his job back but that you would remember the fact that he kept secrets from you."

Tobney raised both his eyebrows this time. "This is about Brius?" He guessed. A frown appeared on his face. "What did he say to you?"

"What you said to him. And that's the problem, isn't it? That's always the problem. You guys swarming me, pushing everyone else away from me." Sianna made a fist and pounded it down on the counter. "I'm done with that, Tobney. If you can't treat me like a normal soldier, I quit."

The lord of the universe sipped from his drink while he listened to her. He seemed totally unimpressed by her outburst. "Brius is a jerk, Sianna. If he can't handle us, he's not worth handling you."

"It's not him, it's you." Sianna said. She noticed the stubborn expression on Tobney's face. "And you're not going to change, are you?"

"Not really planning on it, no." Tobney decided to be honest here. "Any man you date should be of a certain standard. If they run from the idea of having to face us, they're not strong enough to be your boyfriend. That's how we see it. Besides," Tobney placed his glass on the counter as he studied the young woman opposite him, "any real man should know you're way scarier than we can ever be."

Gohan couldn't help but make an agreeing sound as he sipped from his drink absentmindedly. The half-saiyan could still remember being in a relationship with Sianna and he quickly learned that a happy Sianna equaled a happy life. Sianna and Tobney noticed his agreement and they both smiled at him. The half-saiyan could feel his cheeks warming up a little and he decided to focus on his drink again.

"On that note," Sianna awkwardly got off her seat, "I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Tobney asked. Gohan turned to look over his shoulder.

"My quarters. If I'm not getting drinks here, I'll get some in my own quarters." Sianna responded. She stumbled a bit before she started walking to the entrance.

Tobney and Gohan exchanged glances before they got up and followed her. Sianna noticed their presence immediately. "Oh, great. They're following me." She muttered.

Tobney gave her an innocent smile. "Come on, do you really think we're going to let you go to your room to get even more drunk? I'd like to keep all my best soldiers alive."

"And you're going to stop me?"

"With my help." Gohan added, smiling too.

"Do you remember how effective that is, Sianna? Two of us against you?" Tobney's voice sounded as if he was teasing her. Gohan wondered if he was trying to get a reaction out of her. Maybe he wanted to keep her talking, distract her from finding her way to her own quarters.

Sianna stopped walking altogether and she turned on Tobney. "Sure, back when I couldn't lift a finger against you. Of course you could easily push me around. Now I'm almost as strong as you are. Try me, Tobney." She spread her arms to invite him.

"Almost as strong? Aren't you exaggerating your strength a little bit?" Tobney returned easily.

The young woman frowned at him, pointed her finger at him and appeared to want to say something, before she turned and started walking again. Gohan and Tobney exchanged amused glances before they headed after her. Sianna noticed this and waved them away. "Stop following me."

"We're not following you. We're simply going in the same direction." Gohan responded. He gently moved in her way when she tried to turn a corner. "That direction." He suggested, smiling innocently. Sianna gave him a disturbed glance but then proceeded in the direction Gohan suggested.

The half-saiyan blew out a sigh. The two warriors slowly but surely managed to direct Sianna into the direction they wanted her to go. Sianna wasn't too drunk to notice where they were taking her. "Are you two trying to drive a drunk woman to your rooms?" She stated, tilting her head sideways as she looked at the doorway Gohan was opening with his key.

Tobney chuckled. "What? Are you suggesting something lecherous? Cause I'm always game." He added as he spread his arms.

She gave him a pointed look. "You're married."

"I thought you were drunk." Tobney returned easily. "Come on, Sianna, let's make this friendship into a friends-with-benefits-ship."

"I'd rather sleep with a dog." Even drunk Sianna still knew how to respond to Tobney's teasing.

While Tobney laughed at her response, his friend moved to help Sianna into the room. Gohan held her steady as he maneuvered her to his room. The young warrior allowed her to crawl on his bed and he decided she could take it from there. Gohan closed the door behind him and he headed into the room as he watched Tobney lock the main door. The half-saiyan blew out a sigh as he approached his friend. "I can't believe he hurt her like that."

"I know." Tobney rubbed his eyes for a moment. "We'll take care of him." He headed to the kitchen in the corner of the room.

"Sianna will hate you if you go after him." Gohan warned as he followed his friend.

"I know. Still, I can't let that guy get away with this." Tobney shook his head. "She's one of my best friends. Hurt her and there'll be hell to pay."

The following morning, Sianna woke up slowly, frowning as she blinked and looked around. Where the hell was she? The young woman moved slowly but the moment she sat up a wave of nausea hit her and she quickly lied back down. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, wondering if she was going to throw up. The nausea made her feel sickly, her body shivering a little and she could feel saliva in her mouth building up for the main event. "No..." She whispered, annoyed at her state.

Her eyes found the bucket next to her bed and she grabbed it right on time for her body to convulse and her stomach to throw its contents into the bucket. She threw up several times and there was nothing she could do as her body took over, ridding itself of the poison she consumed the night before. Sianna was still shivering as she placed the bucket back on the ground.

"Ah, you're awake." Gohan was all smiles as he walked in the room.

Sianna scoffed. "I thought this room looked vaguely familiar."

"Yep, we didn't want you to go back to your room and drink even more." Gohan sat down on her side of the bed and held out a glass filled with a purple liquid. "Medication against any type of poisoning, including hangovers."

"Thanks." Sianna happily sipped from the drink. She knew it would take at least thirty minutes for the medicine to work.

"That's all right." The young warrior watched her drink for a moment. "Please don't do this to yourself, Sianna. You're above this."

"I know... I just wanted to stop feeling emotions for a while." Sianna closed her eyes before she let out a sigh and opened them again. "It worked but now I'm both sad and hungover. It's even worse."

"Both are temporary." Gohan responded.

"The hangover and the heartbreak, yes. The meddling comrades, not so much." Sianna blew out a sigh as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed. "I can't keep going like this. I'm going to have to quit."

"What?" Gohan frowned. "Why?"

"Because they don't treat me like a normal soldier." Sianna responded. "I worked hard to get where I am, Gohan. I trained with my squad. I worked for months before I handed in the request to officially form a squad. I did it all by the book. And they fought me on it." Sianna took a sip from the medicine. "Comora wouldn't let me go and Tobney refused to let me be on two teams. It was only when Tobney needed a strong team for a mission and all the elite teams were gone that he officially acknowledged my squad and sent us out to do the mission. They've been intrusive every step of the way. Comora keeps adding me to training sessions with the Suta Team while I need all the time I can get to train my own team. Tobney holds my squad over my head whenever he wants me to do something for him." She placed her glass on the table. "I'm grateful for everything they've given me but I need to work in an army that's going to let me live my life in peace and won't meddle with everything I do."

"Sounds very similar to how Tobney felt when he wanted to leave the Suta Team." Gohan responded. He could still remember the story that Tobney made up when they were planning their rebellion. Tobney told the Suta Team that he wanted to leave the team because they didn't treat him like they treated each other. Though Tobney told them that to get them off the trail of the rebellion, he wasn't lying at the time.

"Good. He'll know how I feel."

"Talk to him first." Gohan responded. "He doesn't want you to leave. He'll make the changes if that means keeping you around." The half-saiyan studied the young woman for a moment as she grabbed her glass again and took a sip from it. "Promise me."

"Okay, I promise." Sianna said. "I'm not sure how civil the conversation will be though."

Gohan smiled in response. "Don't worry. I've known you both long enough to not expect any civility from you two." His response made her smile too but this smile contorted into a frown as Sianna reached for the bucket and threw up again. Gohan made a face as he sat back a bit to give her more room. The young woman let out a grown afterwards. Why did she do this to herself?

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Solarus smiled as she wrapped an arm around Gohan's shoulders and held up the mobile phone so she could make a picture of them. The young warrior was getting kind of wary of these pictures. Solarus was including him in her daily pictures. Aside from that, he joined her in most of her live streams or videos. Tobney kept saying that they wanted the enemy to know that Gohan was with them but the half-saiyan didn't understand why one video of him was not enough to get this message across.

"Aww, but you're so good at it." Suno's teasing voice sounded from across the room. Gohan just voiced his problems to Tobney as he managed to catch hold of his best friend. This was yet another problem. Tobney hardly had any time off. The man was always tied up in meetings or training. It was now one of those rare moments that Tobney was sitting at his desk, typing away on his computer. Tobney elected to make one large office in which all the members of the Suta Team could work at the same time. Tobney's desk was located in the center of the room, a straight walk from the entrance. The rest of the Suta Team's desks were pressed together with their fronts, so that the soldiers were facing each other as they worked. Comora's desk was at the head of the small square, overseeing their actions. The small cluster of desk was angled so that nobody had his back to Tobney.

"Exactly. Your fanclub filled with girls drooling over you is right back in action." Itoro was referring to the love letters Gohan had been receiving since he returned to the army. It was true. There was a fanclub for the half-saiyan. There was one for Tobney as well. It came with the territory of being a celebrity. "You wouldn't want to take their daily Gohan-fix away from them, would you?"

Tobney glanced to his comrades as they spoke. "Alright, guys. That's enough." He stated, toning their attitudes down. The warriors were still smiling but they turned back to their laptops and computers. Tobney focused his attention on the half-saiyan. "I'm sorry about that."

Gohan slowly shook his head. "I know what they're like." He responded. "I still didn't get an answer from you."

Tobney took a breath. "About why we're asking you to appear in Solarus's videos?" He clarified. Gohan nodded once in response. "I already told you about that. We want to make sure the enemy knows you're with us. Psychological warfare, you know?"

"One video should be enough for that."

Tobney shook his head. "No, one video could be doctored or taped on the planet where you were staying. We want them to know you're really here. You're here every day as we're travelling to the war."

"And where is that?" Gohan asked. They'd been travelling for a week now and Gohan could make no sense of their direction. "We're not actually moving that fast. We're going on the normal day-to-day speed that we tend to use when we have nowhere special to go. Why is that?" Gohan noticed that Tobney gave a brief glance to the table where Comora was seated. The half-saiyan followed his gaze with his own eyes and just managed to catch how Comora quickly lowered his gaze to his work, avoiding Gohan's gaze. Gohan looked back to Tobney to briefly note a nervous tendency Tobney had, which was fidgeting with his pen.

"Your answers are not adding up. What is going on, Tobney?"

His best friend gave a smile. "So, you've had plenty of time to look into the trajectory of the ship, huh? Is this your way of saying that you're bored?"

Gohan frowned in response. "No."

"Okay, so, are you worried about the war? You shouldn't be, Gohan. We're going as fast as we can to get there. You must be overthinking things and you've got nothing to worry about. Just leave it all to me..."

"Please," Gohan raised his voice for a moment to cut Tobney's sentence short, "don't patronize me. I don't deserve that."

"Alright." Tobney's entire physique changed as he leaned back and crossed his arms over each other. "Then I've got nothing to say to you." He noticed the frown on Gohan's face. "This is my army and my ship. I will decide where I go and how fast we go there. You have no say over that."

"I helped you get this army, Tobney. Don't forget that."

"And you gave up your title and thus your authority here." Tobney returned easily. Gohan pressed his lips together. It was not the first time someone said this to him and he was getting tired of it. "Suno, Itoro. Are you busy right now?" Tobney glanced to the others.

Suno slowly shook his head while Itoro voice that he wasn't busy. "Good. Take Gohan out of my office and keep him occupied for a while. Training should be good. Make sure he's too tired to do any investigating afterwards." Tobney ordered, keeping a hold of Gohan's gaze.

Gohan scoffed while the two soldiers got up. "Really? Why won't you answer my questions, Tobney?"

Tobney only smiled in response. "Have fun, Gohan." The man moved his attention to his computer. Gohan could feel a burst of anger as his friend dismissed him so easily. He slammed his fists down on the desk. Tobney didn't even flinch in response but kept his attention on his computer screen.

"This is not over." Gohan growled quietly. Itoro and Suno reached him and they were now moving in between Gohan and Tobney. The half-saiyan frowned but allowed them to corner him and guide him out the room. The half-saiyan didn't say anything else as he walked away, followed closely by the two members of the Suta team.

Only after Gohan left, his best friend let out a sigh. Comora had been watching the proceedings from his desk. "That's only a temporary solution. You know what he is like, sir."

"I know." Tobney lowered his gaze for a moment. "So, for now, I'm just going to have to stay out of his way for a while. At least, until we're a decent distance away from planet earth." The young warrior looked back to his work. "Live a little longer..."

Comora couldn't help but smile in response. "You should think about preparing a will now that you still can."

Tobney met his eyes. "You're enjoying this way too much." He complained.

Comora shrugged. "Just a little bit."

"We all are, sir." Kaon added, taking the heat off of Comora. "We've got a bet going about how long it's going to take Gohan to figure it all out by himself."

"Who's winning?" Tobney asked curiously.

"Suno. If the boy keeps going like this, that is."

"Hmm." Tobney made a disapproving expression. "At least someone is enjoying the situation."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

 **Until next time!**


	16. Chapter 16: Face The Music

**Hey you!**

 **I wanted to briefly address a couple things as a response to a few negative guest reviews. Honestly, those guest reviews make me think of the Youtube comments. They're negative and not constructive at all. I think those people are in the wrong area of the internet.**

 **First of all, why the guest reviews are not displayed with all the other reviews. I have to go all the way to a separate region of FF to approve the guest reviews before they can appear online and I generally just don't really bother to do that.**

 **Secondly, a general concern of the (guest) reviewers is Gohan's power level. Basically that he's not strong enough. And I agree. I know that canon Gohan is stronger than all the Gohan's in all my stories. Let me tell you why. In my opinion, Gohan draws his strength from the moments his friends need him to be strong. He has his tantrums when his friends get hurt, and both when he first transforms to the first super Saiyan level and the second level, he draws strength from his feelings of helplessness. He wants to help his friends. He wants to be able to do something. However, when he is in mortal danger himself, he doesn't necessarily go through the same emotions. He is almost killed several times and he doesn't explode when that happens. I think it's because his power is fuelled by helplessness regarding his surroundings. And those feelings of helplessness date all the way back to the first moment when he watches Raditz torture his father and there is nothing that he can do to stop his uncle.**

 **In the canon DBZ, Gohan often has to watch his friends get hurt but he only gets triggered when they are almost dying or dead. I think that's because he couldn't save his own father and Goku died because of it (in Gohan's opinion). Whenever he realizes one of his friends is dying, he is brought back to that moment in the space pod and his helplessness is triggered. He trains his hardest to make sure he can protect his friends and family.**

 **In my stories, these situations do not happen. Gohan and his friends are injured and tortured, yes, but his friends are never really dying. And so he does not have those situations to trigger his transformations. In A half-breed's Life and Slave Soldier, Gohan trains because he wants to be stronger. He trains for his own gain. He trains to survive. This motivation is not as effective as his feelings of helplessness are.**

 **That's my opinion.**

 **Thirdly, honestly, some of these guest reviews are left on like chapter 10 of SS3. If you don't like this story, why did you spent all this time reading all the chapters? You could be watching the DBZ series (or Dbz Kai, or DB, or DbGT, or Dbz Abridged, or super (which I didn't bother to watch as I couldn't get passed the first few episodes in which Vegeta is treated like comic relief and, honestly, he deserves better than that). My favourite Gohan &Vegeta scene is the filler scene in which Vegeta sees Gohan fooling around outside Freeza's ship and he teases him. It shows a different side of Vegeta and what their relationship could have been like if they hadn't been mortal enemies. Go watch that. (Namek Saga)(I've always wondered what happens right after Krillin leaves Vegeta and Gohan behind on Freeza's ship. The series shows how Gohan and Vegeta are left behind in the same room together. What happens then? Do they talk to each other? Does Vegeta just ignore him and walk off? Maybe Gohan excuses himself and leaves the room? Vegeta tends to seek Gohan out when he's bored. It happens several times. Argh, it's bugging me. Honestly, the Toriyama needs to make a scene about this moment -.- )**

 **So, what is your favourite Gohan &Vegeta scene?**

 **Okay, thanks for bearing with me. Rant over.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Previously:**

"Your answers are not adding up. What is going on, Tobney?"

His best friend gave a smile. "So, you've had plenty of time to look into the trajectory of the ship, huh? Is this your way of saying that you're bored?"

Gohan frowned in response. "No."

"Okay, so, are you worried about the war? You shouldn't be, Gohan. We're going as fast as we can to get there. You must be overthinking things and you've got nothing to worry about. Just leave it all to me..."

"Please," Gohan raised his voice for a moment to cut Tobney's sentence short, "don't patronize me. I don't deserve that."

"Alright." Tobney's entire physique changed as he leaned back and crossed his arms over each other. "Then I've got nothing to say to you." He noticed the frown on Gohan's face. "This is my army and my ship. I will decide where I go and how fast we go there. You have no say over that."

"I helped you get this army, Tobney. Don't forget that."

"And you gave up your title and thus your authority here." Tobney returned easily. Gohan pressed his lips together. It was not the first time someone said this to him and he was getting tired of it. "Suno, Itoro. Are you busy right now?" Tobney glanced to the others.

Suno slowly shook his head while Itoro voiced that he wasn't busy. "Good. Take Gohan out of my office and keep him occupied for a while. Training should be good. Make sure he's too tired to do any investigating afterwards." Tobney ordered, keeping a hold of Gohan's gaze.

Gohan scoffed while the two soldiers got up. "Really? Why won't you answer my questions, Tobney?"

Tobney only smiled in response. "Have fun, Gohan." The man moved his attention to his computer. Gohan could feel a burst of anger as his friend dismissed him so easily. He slammed his fists down on the desk. Tobney didn't even flinch in response but kept his attention on his computer screen.

"This is not over." Gohan growled quietly. Itoro and Suno reached him and they were now moving in between Gohan and Tobney. The half-saiyan frowned but allowed them to corner him and guide him out the room. The half-saiyan didn't say anything else as he walked away, followed closely by the two members of the Suta team.

 **Chapter 16. Face the Music.**

The training room had seen better days. Of course, the goal of the training room was to train - to fight each other in order to improve tactical skills. However, the battles between these two were so intense; it sometimes seemed more than just training.

The human with blue eyes and short raven hair felt like she had to open her eyes so wide they nearly popped out of their sockets. It was the only way to really see everything her opponent was doing. Her opponent was faster and stronger than she was, and not afraid to act on it. The most terrifying moments were when her opponent focused her yellow eyes on her and the little smile played around her lips. That was when Videl knew her opponent had spotted a mistake and was about to make use of it.

Sianna's brown hair was locked in a ponytail in order to keep it out of her face as she was fighting. Her hand curled into a fist before it shot right into a tiny opening in Videl's defence and hit her just below the ribs. Videl could feel the pain as Sianna's punch hit home. The pain made her falter and it distracted her enough to not see Sianna's next attack on time. The fist landed on her cheek. She stumbled back until Sianna's foot hooked around her leg and made her trip. Landing on the ground, Videl bit her lip as her elbows met the floor. A shiver went through her arms and she felt winded for a moment.

Sianna landed right in front of her, seeming awfully smug. Videl looked up at her opponent, frowning. "You're too fast." She complained.

"Don't worry. I wasn't this fast just a few years ago." Sianna responded. She reached up to use her lower arm to brush sweat off her forehead. "It was all hard work." The young woman smiled as she held out a hand for Videl. "Give me a few months and you'll make jumps in strength. Are you willing to work for it?"

Videl returned the smile as she accepted Sianna's hand and the latter pulled her up. "Yes, I am." Videl stated, nodding once.

"Good. Let's keep going." Sianna stepped back and lowered her body into a fighting stance. "Focus on my defence. See if you can find any openings or try to create one by attacking me and forcing me to move my arms." She ordered.

Videl followed her example, lowering into a defensive stance. The soldier narrowed her eyes and quickly searched Sianna's stance. She couldn't find a fault in her opponent's defence. So, she had to create one. Videl's mind quickly went over the different options in her mind. She had to figure out which part of the defence was the weakest and the easiest to mess up. "Any day now." Sianna taunted.

Videl ignored the rising annoyance at the taunt. She was tempted to rush into the attack just as a response to the teasing but she knew that would only give Sianna the advantage. It wouldn't help Videl at all. She forced herself to focus on her goal. She wanted to do this right. Videl decided to see if she could make Sianna move her arms. The human warrior clenched her fist - not noticing how Sianna's smile became a little bigger in response - before she tried to punch Sianna. The alien moved up her right arm to block the punch. This forced Sianna to leave room along her midriff as her arm was forced to move up higher. Videl tried to move her knee to hit this opening but Sianna was faster. Her other hand grabbed Videl's attacking wrist and she pushed the arm down to meet Videl's knee. By doing this, she used Videl's own arm to push the knee down. After this she only had to push against Videl's knee to stop the attack. Videl stumbled back again while Sianna prepared an energy-blast. The human warrior widened her eyes when she noticed the energy-blast that was coming in her direction and she could only cross her arms in front of her face and upper torso to block it.

The uniform did its work and protected her skin from getting burnt but she could feel the heat from the blast. It pushed her back and she lost her footing, falling down and allowing the blast to shoot over her head. For a moment, she wondered why the blast didn't envelop her as she'd seen happening to others before, but these questions disappeared from her mind when she noticed that Sianna moved her hand and the energy-boll collided with the wall, which in turn absorbed it.

Videl blew out a sigh as she sat up while Sianna walked closer to her. Sianna continued to beat her and it made her feel like a horrible fighter. She wasn't used to battling people she could not defeat. "Don't clench your fist right before you're going to attack." Sianna stated as she held out her hand once more. "It gave your whole plan away."

Videl accepted the hand once more and was pulled up. "Really? I'll keep an eye on it." She briefly inspected her arms as they still felt a little warm after meeting that energy-blast.

"If you don't, I definitely will." Sianna responded meekly. "Come on. Let's keep going."

The human warrior took a deep breath before she nodded. "Let's keep going." She smiled at her opponent just before they were both distracted by the sound of Sianna's scouter.

The young woman let out a sigh as she headed for the two scouters that were lying on the ground near the entrance. "I'll bet that's Tobney or Comora." She complained as she headed there. "Those goons can never leave me alone for longer than two…" Sianna looked at the screen and her voice drifted off. She frowned and placed the scouter on her head before pressing a button. "Brius, hey, what's up?"

Videl recognized the name Brius as Sianna's ex-boyfriend. They recently broke up due to Tobney finding out about their relationship. Videl didn't know the two were still talking. Sianna's expression was serious as she listened to the other side of the conversation. "They what?" She asked. Sianna closed her eyes and placed a hand on her forehead. "Brius, I'm so sorry. I didn't…." She stopped talking again. "I know… This is too… Okay… This won't happen again. I promise… Bye…"

Sianna disconnected the line and she was silent for a moment as she considered the conversation she just had. Videl crossed the distance to her friend. "What did he want?"

Sianna looked at Videl. "Ehh… Nothing… Would you mind if we end our training here?" She asked. "I need to go knock some heads together." She turned and left without saying anything else. Videl raised an eyebrow but she decided not to follow Sianna.

And that was probably for the best.

The door to the elite office opened and a storm entered the room. "How could you!" Her voice carried into the room and made all the faces look up. Her yellow eyes were narrowed as she stalked closer to the leader of the army.

Comora leaned on his desk with his turquoise arms. "You need to be a little more specific, sweetheart, so that we know who has done you wrong now." His burning red eyes focused on the young woman as she turned to look at him.

"You attacked Brius!" Sianna clarified.

"Ah," Comora motioned to the rest of the group as the guilty ones. They didn't look guilty at all though. They met her angry expression with smug and confident gazes.

"He had it coming." Tobney stated, taking the heat off his subordinates. Sianna's burning eyes focused on him now. "He hurt you so we hurt him."

"That's not your decision to make." Sianna responded. She stepped closer to his desk. Her feet made a little more impact on the floor as she was still powering up slowly.

"Yes, it is. If I want to beat a guy up because he hurt my friend, then I have all the right to do so." Tobney said, his pale hand waving her comments away.

"I can handle him myself just fine."

"We know." Itoro answered before Tobney could. Sianna looked in his direction. "But we wanted to hurt him. Therefore, not even you could stop us. We are unstoppable when we want to hurt someone - just ask lord Tobney or Gohan or yourself for that matter."

"I have every right to send my soldiers out to settle a score with someone." Tobney added. "You, on the other hand, burst in here without knocking and criticize the decisions of your super ordinates. Take a step back, Sianna."

The female warrior laughed in response. "Do you really think I care about your petty little rules, Tobney? Play lord-high-and-mighty all you want but don't expect me to play along." She turned on her heals and left the room.

Tobney could feel a tightening sensation in his chest as he watched her walk away. Comora clicked with his tongue as he lowered his gaze back to his computer screen. "Though the rules apply to us, the elite team, they don't seem to apply to your friends, lord."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Comora." Tobney snarled in response. Comora shrugged but didn't respond. Tobney glared at the rest of the team until they all got back to work. After that, Tobney curled his fingers together and leaned on them with his chin. He stared at the doorway through which Sianna disappeared. His comrades were right. Sianna needed to be toned down. He just wasn't sure how to do it without hurting her.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Silently. Quietly. The half-saiyan kept his power level as low as he could while he made his way across the hallway. The youngster kept an eye on the energies of the Suta Team members. They were all still far away. Tobney wasn't though. His best friend was back in his office. Gohan knew exactly where to go. The only problem was that Tobney wasn't alone. Comora was there too. Comora was always there.

How was Gohan supposed to get to Tobney when there was always someone in the way? It was so annoying. The half-saiyan suddenly noticed a change in atmosphere and he quickly hid in a closet. The youngster leaned against the door and used his energy to sense for the others. Where were they?

The door burst open, throwing Gohan forwards into a closet filled with different cleaning supplies. Luckily, the closets were closed and so nothing fell out. The half-saiyan did hit his head though and he reached up to feel his forehead. He pulled back and noticed his fingers were clean. No blood. Good.

"Look what we found."

Gohan turned to meet the eyes of his former comrades. Comora was with them. The man gave Gohan an amused glance as he had his arms crossed over each other. "Did you really think I didn't notice you creeping outside our office? My scouter is on your energy 24/7."

The half-saiyan frowned in response. "I want to talk to Tobney."

"Tell me something I don't know." Comora responded in a bored tone. "You know what, I've got a couple free hours. I've been meaning to get my hands on you for a while now. Come with me, Gohan." The man turned to leave and gave an expectant look over his shoulder. Gohan shook his head stubbornly. "Guys." Comora only had to say the word and Suno and Itoro came closer - their hands reaching out to the half-saiyan.

Gohan briefly considered fighting them off but he didn't want to cause too much of a scene in the non-fighting areas of the ship. Nobody really knew how well the normal hallways could withstand fierce battles. "Fine." Gohan moved up his hands to knock their hands away and he followed Comora.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan studied his friend with newfound admiration. He knew she'd had a hard time since she arrived on the ship. She'd been training for hours every day and she'd made jumps in her progress. Videl looked like a different person as she stood opposite him ̶ dressed in a blue uniform and basic white armour.

"It's been a while since we sparred." Gohan stated. "You've been training with Sianna almost every day."

Videl rolled her eyes in response. "I know. She insists on making me stronger quickly as she doesn't want a woman to be the weakest soldier on the ship."

Gohan couldn't help but smile in return. That did sound like Sianna. "You've gotten a lot stronger."

"I have." Videl cracked her knuckles as she eyed him. "So, you can power up more when you're fighting me."

Gohan's smile turned to a grin as he placed his fists on his hips. "Nah, I don't think you're strong enough for that yet." He responded. "If I start getting serious on you, you'll be even more beaten up after the training session than you are when you're done sparring with Sianna."

"We'll see about that." Videl lowered her body into a defensive stance. Gohan's smile became a bit smaller as he followed her example. The two warriors studied each other's defence for a moment. Gohan had to admit that she had an amazing defence now. His heart swelled with pride for a moment. When they met, she was a good fighter but she learned a lot from him and he learned a lot from her in return. He taught her defensive techniques based on knocking powerful attacks down. She taught him how to use a size or strength difference to his advantage.

The half-saiyan narrowed his eyes, focusing on her defence. What to do to mess her wall up? The youngster knew her left arm was a weakness. Let's see if that was still the case. Gohan crossed the distance between them within a second and he tried to direct a punch to her left side. Videl's arm was there to break his attack. Gohan kept an eye on her eyes but also on her left hand. She tended to tense her hand whenever she wanted to attack. This gave her away. It was something she couldn't shake.

There it was. Videl's left fist tensed for just one moment and she pulled it back to punch him. Gohan caught her punch, pulled her closer, and brought up his knee to push it into her stomach. The young warrior released Videl after that so she could recover from the harsh attack. Videl didn't need that much time to recover. Without warning, she lashed out with her leg, trying to kick Gohan's leg from under him. The half-saiyan jumped up to avoid it but he wasn't prepared for another attack from her left fist ̶ without warning this time. Her hand did not tense before she attacked him. He did not see that coming. The half-saiyan was knocked over the head before he could even land on the ground and he landed awkwardly, his foot tilted sideways, twisting his ankle, and he fell to the ground.

The half-saiyan let out an annoyed groan as he felt the pain rushing through his leg and ankle. Videl stepped back, panting now. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Gohan tried to get up but he couldn't put any weight on his foot. "I just need to walk it off for a bit." He started walking around the training room.

Videl followed him. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Gohan smiled to her. "I see you got rid of the tendency to tense your left hand before you attack."

"I did." Videl nodded. "I wanted to surprise you."

Gohan tilted his head sideways for just a second as he made a clicking sound with his tongue. "You definitely did." She fooled him and his pride was damaged just a little bit. "I'm proud of you. You've been working really hard to improve and you definitely improved."

Videl returned the smile she received from him. "Thank you." The two were now standing opposite each other, smiling at each other as they looked into each other's eyes. Videl blinked and shook her head. "Okay. Keep walking for a bit." She stated, not noticing that Gohan snapped out of his dazed state as well and he looked away awkwardly. "I'll go get our water bottles. Be right back."

"Great!" Gohan smiled as he watched her go. The half-saiyan blew out a sigh as he felt his heart beat heavily in his chest. He couldn't let his feelings show like that. He'd been there before with Sianna and he still remembered how his comrades reacted to his affair with her. He didn't want that to happen again. Besides, he needed to figure out what was going on with Tobney before he could allow himself to get involved in any relationships.

Focus, Gohan. Focus.

Videl returned with the bottles and she handed one to him. "Is your ankle feeling better now? We should get back to training."

"Training!" Gohan fully agreed. "Yes, let's get back to training." That was perfect. There was nothing that could keep his mind off any romantic topics better than sparring. Then again -the half-saiyan realized as he followed her-that also meant having to stare into Videl's eyes for the upcoming few hours. Well, there were upsides to everything, right?

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Tobney's scheme to stay away from the half-saiyan worked to such an extent that Gohan didn't get to see his best friend for days. The members of the Suta Team seemed to take turns watching him. Two at a time, they guided the half-saiyan from breakfast, to training, to lunch, to more training and finally to dinner. His training with Videl earlier that day was the first hour he'd been apart from the rest of the team in days.

Sianna entered the room and looked around. Her yellow eyes scanned the room quickly in order to find her victim. The young woman smiled when she noticed the half-saiyan was curled up on the couch with an e-book. The youngster was sitting by himself as the rest of the group was located near the kitchen island. Opened beers were standing around on the table while their owners played a card game.

"Sianna!" Suno called over as he noticed her. "Come here and be my lucky charm, will you?" Gohan looked up to meet her eyes for a moment but the half-saiyan lowered his gaze to his book again.

Sianna grinned in response to the comment. "When was I ever anything resembling luck to you?"

"Exactly!" Itoro agreed. "Come here and be Suno's lucky charm so that I can get some luck."

"Grab a beer. The game is just getting good!" Kaon added as he waved her over.

"I'll be right there, guys." Sianna returned before she looked back to Gohan. The young woman headed closer to him and sat down on the same couch. Gohan didn't look at her. "I hear the Suta Team adopted a new baby." She stated innocently.

Gohan's dark glare made a grin appear on Sianna's face. "If you're here to gloat, get it over with and leave me alone." His former comrades decided that the situation concerning Gohan was their temporary babysitting-job. They even went as far as mentioning Gohan as 'the baby' whenever they spoke about him and they even spoke in baby-talk when they addressed him. That was one of the main reasons he was not joining their games anymore and instead chose to read a book by himself.

Sianna shrugged as she leaned sideways and allowed her arm to drape over the back leaning of the couch. "Don't care too much." She answered. "You're not a kid anymore but you're still the youngest of our little gang and so it's the only stick they have to beat you with."

Gohan lowered his e-book. "Can't you tell me what is going on?" He asked. Sianna raised an eyebrow in response. "What is it that Tobney is trying to keep secret from me?"

Sianna slowly shook her head. "It's not my place to tell you."

"But you know about it?"

Sianna allowed a smile to appear on her face. "Tobney cannot keep secrets from me. No matter how hard he tries." She answered. The young woman tilted her head sideways. "I'm a little disappointed that you're giving up so easily."

"You try getting away from them." Gohan nodded to the Suta Team.

Sianna followed his gaze. "Have you even tried?" She said as her eyes moved back to him. Gohan shrugged as he lowered his gaze. "Would you like to?" His gaze moved back up to Sianna's eyes after she said this. Sianna grinned in response before she moved to shift her weight onto her arms. She assumed a position on all-fours and crawled closer to him, placing her hands on the couch next to Gohan's extended legs. The half-saiyan watched her come closer, surprised but intrigued. Sianna directed her attention to his ear so that she could whisper something to him. "I'm going to sit with the guys and I'll let the table explode. Tobney is in the main control room with Comora. Are you ready?"

Gohan could feel his cheeks heating up as he felt her warm breath on his ear. Sianna pulled back and looked at him for his answer. Her gaze ran over his face and for a moment her eyes seemed to soften. She visibly shook her head and sat up in order to create some distance between them. "So?"

Gohan nodded once. "I'm in." He responded. Sianna grinned again and she went to get off the couch. However, Gohan grabbed her wrist to get her attention. "Won't you get in trouble for this?"

Sianna shrugged in response. "I live for these types of situations. It was getting way too boring here. Besides, I like getting Tobney in trouble too." She showed a smile before she looked down to her wrist. Gohan released her so that she could walk to the table. "Alright, guys! Your lucky charm is here! Who is winning? I'll sit next to you."

Gohan watched curiously as Sianna went over to the other soldiers. Suno pushed a beer in her direction and she took it before she sat down on one of the unoccupied seats. "So, who's winning?"

Suno nodded to Itoro. The latter gave a smug grin. "I'm unbeatable when it comes to this game."

"Not for long!" Kaon returned as he looked at his own cards. "Today is going to be my lucky day."

"You keep saying that but it never happens." Suno answered.

Sianna sipped from her beer as she studied Suno's cards. "You could use the luck though." She stated innocently.

"Hey! You were supposed to be on my team." Suno returned, shielding his cards from her eyes with his free hand.

"Hmm, I don't trust you two for a second." Itoro said, tapping against his own nose with his light-blue finger. "You might be lying to make us think his cards are useless." He accused.

Sianna shrugged in response. "You'll never know." She sipped from her beer after this.

"She's right. Somehow we do not notice when she's deceiving us. Don't forget she managed to keep two of her fuckboys a secret from us." Kaon added, sounding like he was teasing her.

"That was for my own good. You would do the same thing if you were me."

"Why?"

"You would tease me."

Suno pretended to be shocked by her accusation. "We would never." The other men couldn't help but smile in response to this.

"Forgive me. Of course you would never do something like that." Sianna's voice was dripping with sarcasm. While the rest of the group continued their card game, Sianna's yellow eyes shot towards Gohan for a moment. This was the only sign Gohan got before a whirlwind of energy overtook the room. Gohan heard the surprised screams of the others and he briefly noticed how the whirlwind took control of the card game, throwing all the cards in different directions and even throwing the warriors off their seats.

He couldn't stay to watch for too long though. He realized that this was Sianna's distraction. He needed to leave and find Tobney now that the others were focused on the whirlwind. The young warrior ran out the room while he focused on Tobney's power level. His friend was actually quite close. The half-saiyan locked his mind onto his friend's presence. He needed to be fast about this or Tobney would notice his approach. The youngster's feet tapped on the ground as he ran. Elite soldiers of all sizes and shapes looked on curiously as Gohan ran passed.

Gohan skidded to a stop in front of a door behind which he felt Tobney's power level. The half-saiyan took a moment to catch his breath before he opened the door. But... Nothing happened. The half-saiyan swiped his card again but nothing happened. Gohan frowned thoughtfully. He should have access to all the rooms in the elite quarters. He pulled out the master-key Tobney gave him. It was supposed to be able to unlock any door in the ship. However, this key didn't work either.

Gohan realized Tobney must have limited the access his cards provided him. The half-saiyan could feel his fists clench in annoyance before he raised it and bounced it on the door. "Tobney!" He roared. "Open the door!"

A brief silence occurred after this. Gohan waited for a bit before the door opened and he was faced with Comora. The tall man glared down at him. "Get in here." He ordered.

The control room was filled with administrators. They all seemed shocked by his appearance and countless eyes followed him as he headed inside. Tobney held up his hand when Gohan opened his mouth to talk to him. The lord of the universe looked around. "Activate autopilots and take a twenty-minute break, please." He ordered.

There was a shuffle as the soldiers did as they were told before they all left the room. Comora had his arms crossed as he stood next to Gohan. "I swear, if you were under my control, I would have whipped all the meat off your back for this, brat." The man threatened in a quiet voice.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Comora." Gohan snarled in return.

"Are you trying to call my bluff? I would be more than happy to…"

"Be nice, children." Tobney interfered.

The other two warriors kept glaring at each other for a moment but they waited for the other soldiers to leave the room. Once the door closed behind the last soldier, Tobney's blue gaze moved to Gohan. "So, judging from your dramatic entrance, I gather you would like to talk to me."

"I want to know what is going on, Tobney." Gohan responded. "Your little scheme to keep me away from you didn't work so now you're going to tell me what you're trying to keep from me."

"How did you manage to escape from them?" Tobney asked, frowning.

The moment he asked this, Comora received a call. The man reached up his hand to press the button on his scouter so he could receive the call. "Comora? Yes, he's right here. Now the question is, why is he not with you?" The man was silent for a moment before he chuckled. "I should have guessed. Did you manage to hold on to her? Great. Never mind it now. We'll discuss your failure later." He signed off before he looked to Tobney. "He got help from a certain warrior princess."

Tobney's eyes moved to Gohan. "Is that true?" he asked. The half-saiyan didn't respond to this. Tobney figured he could have expected Gohan to not want to rat out his friends but the half-saiyan didn't like lying either. "Do they have her in custody?" He asked, his eyes moving to Comora. The man shook his head in response. "Of course not." Tobney complained before he placed his hands over his face. "This is unbelievable."

Gohan gave Tobney an expectant glance. His friend met his gaze and held it for a moment. "Fine. Comora, show the list." He ordered.

"Are you sure, sir?" Comora asked, looking to his superordinate. Tobney nodded once in response. Comora walked over to the control panel. The man went to his own files in the system, encountering password after password before he finally reached a document he wanted to show. A picture covered the large screen above the control panel.

The list seemed distorted and blank gaps were seen in the document. Still, Gohan could see the list of names and his own name right at the top. "What is this?" He noticed his name was followed by Tobney's and Sianna's name.

"A hit list." Tobney responded. "There's a group called Naldersthlen. They believe Vegeta is the rightful leader of the army. They want to return the army to the old ways and they want to start that by killing everyone responsible for the downfall of the previous army." He explained. "We found the list a couple months ago. We heard rumours about the group before that so we've been investigating them since then."

Tobney took a deep breath. "A couple months ago we realized they knew you were on planet Earth and they were planning on attacking the planet." He stated.

"WHAT?" Gohan felt like his heart skip a beat after he heard this. "They wanted to attack planet earth and you took me away from the planet?"

Tobney held up his hands in a calming manner. "Please, Gohan, hear..."

"No! You had no right to take me away from the planet under false pretences. You should have told me what was going on from the start."

"You wouldn't have come with us."

"Of course not! I would have stayed on planet earth to protect the planet!"

"We didn't want to..."

"Bring me back!"

"Gohan..."

"Bring me back right now!" Gohan rushed closer to Tobney and grabbed his best friend by his collar with both hands. Comora was standing right next to them, the side of his hand located against Gohan's throat in a threat. If he made one move towards Tobney, Comora would strike.

Tobney kept calm as he gently pressed against Comora's arm to push the man away. "Stand down." He stated quietly. Once his subordinate let go, he noticed Gohan tightened his grip on his collar and gave him a little shake.

"Turn the ship around!"

"I can't."

Gohan gave him a push while still holding onto his collar. Tobney allowed this to happen, knowing it was only anger and helplessness that Gohan was expressing. "My mother is on that planet!"

"Gohan, please hear me out." Tobney's voice sounded somewhat strained as Gohan tightened his grip on his collar so much that the clothing was tight around his throat. Gohan released Tobney and stepped back, allowing his friend to recover from his manhandling. The half-saiyan raised his eyebrows at his friend as he crossed his arms over each other. Tobney took a breath. "They know you're with us now. Planet Earth is in no danger. That is why we wanted you to announce your presence here by filming videos and posting pictures. We wanted to show you left planet Earth and returned to the army. They won't attack the planet if you're not on it. That wouldn't make sense."

Comora now closed the document again and walked back to the other two. "That's also why Vegeta couldn't join us. They want Vegeta back at the top of the army. They won't destroy the planet on which he is located."

"Exactly. That's the _only_ reason why mister high-and-mighty couldn't come." Tobney added sweetly.

Gohan couldn't help but smile in response to hearing the old nickname Tobney used to use when referring to Vegeta. "Okay." The half-saiyan took a breath. "I'm happy that I now know what's going on. I'm not too happy that you lied to me about it."

"I'm sorry, Gohan." Tobney responded immediately. "I really didn't want to... I just really wanted you to come with me."

"And then you wanted to make sure the ship was as far away from planet earth before you actually told me the truth?"

Tobney lowered his gaze. "Yes. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I guess it came from a good place." Gohan looked up at the black screen. "So, how do we lure them here?"

Tobney raised an eyebrow at Gohan. "Are you saying you want to help?"

"Of course." Gohan gave his best friend a smile. "They're after me too. Tell me what I have to do and I'll do it."

"Great! Okay, I have to finish up a couple things here. What do you say we meet at three to discuss everything?" Tobney suggested as he pulled out his tablet and studied his schedule.

Gohan nodded in response. "Sure. Your office?"

"Yep!" Tobney dismissed the half-saiyan and Gohan left the room. Tobney's smile disappeared from his face once Gohan was gone and he moved up his hand to make a call on his scouter. The man took a breath. "Call Sianna." He ordered. A silence occurred after this as he waited. "Not answering her scouter." He muttered.

"Of course not." Comora added.

Tobney tried it again and let out a grunt of frustration when the line was not accepted again. "Okay. Call Suta Team." He ordered. "Guys, fetch Sianna for me and bring her to my office. Now."

 ******* DBZ ***** DBZ *******

 **Thanks for reading the chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17: Best Friends Forever

**Chapter 17. Best Friends Forever.**

"Are you telling me you can't find her?" Tobney roared at the members of the Suta Team. "The elite team cannot find one soldier?"

The men had their gazes lowered to the ground. Comora was standing a little off to the side. He had his arms crossed and showed a strict expression. Tobney slammed his fists down on the desk. "Find her for me or don't bother to show your faces here again! Now get lost!" The group bowed as one man and left the room.

Tobney let out a growl as he turned away from the room and turned to look out the window. Comora slowly stepped closer to his younger comrade. "I'm sorry, sir. We'll do better." He stated.

"No, I was being too hard on them. We all know Sianna will not be found if she doesn't want to be found." Tobney responded.

"So, as for the story you told Gohan." Comora noticed that his leader looked over at him. "Are you going to tell him the truth?"

"I told him the truth."

Comora laughed. "You told him half the truth. He's just naïve enough to believe it." He responded. "You didn't tell him that we already defeated most of the Naldersthlen army and we struck a bargain with them includes Gohan."

"I'm not going to let it get that far." Tobney responded. "And Gohan doesn't need to know. End of story."

"Fine. It's your call." Comora uncrossed his arms and hesitated a moment before he made a decision. "Sir? I think there's a lot of tension in the elite department right now." He stated. Tobney scoffed in response but didn't say anything. He considered Comora's sentence and understatement. "I think it's because we've been locked in this ship together for too long. What do you say we go on a mission?"

Tobney turned to look at his subordinate. "A mission?"

"Yes, why don't we all go? Gohan, you and Sianna can join us and we'll go knock some heads together." Comora suggested. "It will be good for us to focus on something other than Naldersthlen and the army. It will be fun."

Tobney considered this for a moment. "There is an upcoming mission for which I'm going to need a strong team..." He muttered. But he shook his head. "No, we don't have time for that."

"It's fine if you don't want to go but let us go." Comora responded. "The guys are dying to get out and do something. We'll take Sianna along and knock some sense into her." The man met Tobney's gaze. "Please, sir, let us do this mission."

The young warrior shook his head. "No, I need you on the ship."

"For what?"

"You're my guard."

"You can protect yourself just fine. Sir, the guys are feeling restless. They feel like they don't matter as they're doing a useless job. We're protecting a man who doesn't need the protection."

"And you keep calling us emotionals." Tobney returned, shaking his head. "No, you're staying here, Comora. What if the ship is attacked while you're gone?"

"You have an entire army at your disposal, sir. Besides, there are more elite soldiers."

"No, my mind is made up, Comora. This discussion is over." Tobney said strictly. "Now, we have to prepare for the meeting with Gohan." He sat down at his desk and motioned for Comora to follow his lead. The man blew out a sigh but obeyed and sat down too.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan caught a punch from the young woman, smiling. "You're going to have to be faster than that, Sianna." He taunted. The female warrior met his teal eyes for only a moment before she tried to kick him. Gohan pushed the kick away easily. He kept his eyes focused on her gaze to see where her next attack would land. The two exchanged punches at a rapid speed, trying to hurt each other as much as they could.

Videl looked on from a few feet away. She was surprised and a little intimidated by their speed. She could vaguely follow their moves. It was getting easier to see every day. Still, she couldn't keep up with them just yet. She still had to improve.

The half-saiyan found it difficult to encounter Sianna as she was a good defensive fighter. She'd learned to put most of her focus on her defence. It was something he taught her when they just started training for the uprising. Back then, Sianna knew she would have to fight the strongest warriors in the universe and she would never be strong enough to fight them on equal ground on time for the uprising. They knew her defence would be her most important asset in the fight. She still fought like that, even though she was now strong enough to face them. It made her an annoying opponent.

Sianna neatly dodged a punch from the half-saiyan but she couldn't avoid a kick after that. Gohan's knee landed in her stomach, pushing the air out of her system. She stumbled back, letting out a gasp for air. She widened her eyes and placed a hand on her stomach. Gohan stopped and gave her a worried glance. "Are you oka-" The half-saiyan was cut off by a punch that landed right across his jaws. Sianna pulled back her fist and gave the already unstable Gohan a push, throwing him on the ground. Her boot landed on his chest before he could respond. Videl couldn't help but smile as she slowly shook her head.

A silence occurred as Sianna smirked down at him. "Turn your hero off when you're fighting us, Gohan."

"You played me." Gohan accused, frowning up at her. His pride was hurt and that smug smirk on her face wasn't helping.

"Of course. You're easy to play. You see a woman in pain and you come to the rescue. It's adorable." Sianna teased, still smug.

Gohan scoffed before he got up with a little more force than was necessary. Sianna was pushed backwards. She took a step back and showed a mock-impressed expression. Gohan realized how easily his lovesick mind had forgotten how annoying Sianna could be. "What's wrong? Did I hurt your feelings, Gohan?"

"Screw you." Gohan snarled, noticing how Sianna's grin only widened at this display of emotion. "I'm sorry for caring about my friends. I thought that was something to be proud of."

Sianna's expression turned a little more serious. "Why though? I never see you getting so worried about Tobney. You live for getting the better of him during trainings."

"Yeah, but that's different."

"Why?"

"Because..." Gohan's thoughts stopped him. Because he's a man, he wanted to say, but he knew Sianna wouldn't like to hear that. And he now realized how wrong this theory was.

"Because?" Sianna encouraged, raising her eyebrows at him. Videl tilted her head sideways as she looked at him.

"Tobney is my friend and that's all he's ever been to me." Gohan said, trying this tactic. "Yes, of course we like beating each other up. Find me two good friends who don't like messing with each other. You're my..." The half-saiyan wet his lips for a moment as he decided to change his sentence. "I have a different relationship to you. And you." Gohan felt a little awkward confessing this to his ex and Videl.

"What are you saying, Gohan? Are you comparing the feelings you had for me to the feelings you are currently having for Videl?" Sianna immediately jumped on the comment. Her eyes moved to Videl. The latter was easily seen blushing a little as she looked to Gohan with... was that a hopeful expression?

Gohan could feel his cheeks heating up as he glared at Sianna. How was she making this even worse? "I'm saying we have a different relationship."

"And I'm saying that we shouldn't." Sianna responded. "There used to be a time when you lived for making me miserable. You and Tobney. That's when we were really friends. And let me tell you, Tobney really doesn't mind beating me up these days. Your refusal to be as hard on me as you are on the rest of your friends is an insult to me, Gohan, don't you see? It's you assuming I can't handle it. You're still assuming I'm a damsel in distress. You're trying to save me."

"I'm not..."

"You know it's true, and it's a weakness, Gohan." Sianna responded. "You have to be able to fight women these days. What if you go up against a female soldier during the upcoming clash with the Naldersthlen? Or any other enemy? It will happen someday, Gohan."

"I agree." Videl nodded. "I've noticed it too. Please try to hurt us as much as you always try to hurt the others. We can handle it."

Gohan blew out a sigh as the two pairs of eyes stared at him. How did this even happen? "Fine. But, guys, please, it feels like you've been sitting on this for a while. Please, tell me these things straight away from now on. I don't notice hints and tricks. I need you to tell me what you want from me so I can do it." It seemed so simple. Why did people like Videl and Sianna never realize how simple just saying what they wanted was?

Videl and Sianna exchanged glances - smiles on their faces. It made Gohan feel as if he wasn't part of the conversation for a moment. Videl looked back to Gohan. "Gohan, please treat us like any other opponent during the training sessions so we won't feel as if you're belittling us."

Sianna tilted her head sideways. "Can you do that for us, big guy?" She asked in a sweet voice.

Gohan realized that they were mocking him. Why was he hesitant to hurt these people? He wasn't so sure now. The half-saiyan shrugged and put up his hands. "Can I start now?" he asked, eager to punch the smile off Sianna's face.

Videl and Sianna both showed grins in response. "Definitely!"

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Tobney took a sip from his coffee. "I can't help but notice that Videl is visiting the rejuvenation tank every time she trains with you these days. What's going on? Are you in some sort of rough patch?" Tobney just arrived back from a long meeting and was longing to take a nap but he changed his mind when he realized Gohan was still awake. The half-saiyan was just having some coffee because he couldn't sleep. The youngster tended to give up on sleep entirely when he couldn't sleep. It was strangely calming. Tobney decided to keep the half-saiyan company. Who needed sleep, anyway?

Gohan shrugged as he placed his cup on the table. "She asked for it." He said casually. Tobney gave him a confused glance. "It's a long story."

"Isn't it always when it comes to women?" Tobney responded. Gohan inclined his head to show that he agreed. "What I also do not understand," Tobney continued, "is why Sianna isn't in your custody." He gave his friend a sharp glance.

Gohan met his gaze steadily. "It's not my fight."

"You're my friend."

"I think you're being too hard on her. She was just helping me out."

"Maybe, but the fact that she did something she knew I wouldn't like motivated her a lot too." Tobney made an annoyed sound as he moved his coffee closer to his lips. Gohan shrugged in response. "I can't believe we haven't caught her yet." He complained before he took a sip from his coffee.

"She's good at avoiding people she doesn't want to see." Gohan said innocently. "It's been a few days, Tobney. Why are you still so angry? I'm not angry with you for lying to me. Why can't you let it go too?"

Tobney slowly shook his head. "You haven't been here these last few years. This power struggle has been going on since you left." The man blew out a sigh. "I can't lose."

"Don't forget that she's your friend." Gohan said helpfully, smiling.

Tobney huffed. "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"

Gohan grinned in response. "That's how it goes in this army, isn't it?" The half-saiyan exchanged a smile with his best friend. The two turned back to their own coffee for a bit while a silence ensued. Gohan hesitated as he studied his coffee. "Tobney…?"

"Hmm?"

"Speaking of the women in our lives…" Gohan hesitated again – his gaze lowered.

"Yes?" Tobney was all attention as he studied his best friend.

"It's … I was wondering…" Gohan blew out a sigh. He felt too uncomfortable talking about this and he waved his hand, shaking his head. "Never mind."

"No." Tobney complained. "Come on. You wanted to tell me something or ask me something about a woman. Girl troubles. I'm an expert on women. I've had all the practice in the world."

"You're way too eager." Gohan shook his head. "You're going to tease me."

"No. I won't." Tobney returned. The man decided to be serious as he placed a hand on Gohan's lower arm that was resting on the table. "Gohan, come on. You can tell me. Please don't feel as if you can't tell me things."

"Don't tell the others."

"I promise."

The half-saiyan looked down to his coffee again. "It's about Videl. I like her. As in, really like her. I've liked her for a while now. And I'm not sure how to handle it." He looked up to realize Tobney was smiling. It made him feel uncomfortable and he immediately wished he hadn't said anything.

However, rather than teasing him or laughing at him – as Gohan expected – Tobney's smile faded and he gave a serious answer: "I think you should tell her."

"Tell her? Just tell her?"

Tobney nodded. "Honesty tends to work."

"What if she doesn't like me like I like her?" Gohan got momentarily confused by the many 'likes' in his sentence but he figured Tobney would understand what he was trying to say.

Tobney took a breath and thought this over. "I don't want to get your hopes up… But I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do."

"Did you read her mind?"

"No, I didn't actually." Tobney shook his head. "I don't go around tapping into people's minds."

"You try to read my mind all the time." Gohan accused.

"Yes, because you're my friend. It's to annoy you." Tobney returned easily. "I don't go around reading other people's minds. Honestly, half the time I don't want to know what people are thinking."

"Hmm…" Gohan wasn't entirely convinced but he decided to let it go for now. "All right. So, your advice would be to just tell her?"

Tobney nodded in response as he raised his coffee to his lips. "Just tell her. Be honest. The worst she could do is turn you down. Then you'll still have all your friends here. Nothing will really change."

"Right." Gohan watched as Tobney took a sip from his coffee. The half-saiyan took a breath. "Just be honest. I can do that." The youngster sent his friend a smile. "Thanks, Tobney."

Tobney seemed surprised but he returned the smile and reached out to gently tousle Gohan's hair. It was a type of affection he used to show when Gohan was still a teenager and they were still soldiers. It made Tobney realize how much had changed and how much they'd both grown up. Still, Gohan would always be something of a little brother to him – no matter how old the half-saiyan was. "Of course. Don't worry about it."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"KEEP GOING, USELESS BASTARDS." Comora's thundering voice comforted them once in while during the training.

Gohan made a face as he lowered his body until he was inches from the ground before he used his arms to push up again. He was in plank position and he groaned as he pushed his body up. The push ups weren't the problem. Gohan was used enough to that drill. The problem was the boot on his back, pushing him down. Suno smiled as he leaned on his knee with his elbow. "Come on. You can go faster than that, rookie." He taunted. "Honestly, you were stronger when you were eleven."

"Yeah right." Gohan snarled back. The half-saiyan gasped when Suno used this brief unguarded moment to apply extra pressure on his back. Gohan's arms collapsed under him and he fell down to the ground.

Suno laughed in response, happy to get the better of the half-saiyan. Comora passed the two warriors. "Did I give you permission to rest, rookie?"

"It's not like I did it on purpose." Gohan complained in response. The half-saiyan placed his palms on the ground and tried to push up but he realized Suno wasn't giving him any room. The boot was still on back – pushing him down. "Suno... Would you mind?"

"What? Are you not strong enough to push yourself up?" Suno teased. "Is the little baby monkey too weak?"

Gohan rolled his eyes in response. He'd heard all this before. The youngster clenched his teeth together and forced his body back up into a plank position. The elite warriors outgrew any type of weights a long time ago so now they had to be each other's weight. Luckily, the soldiers were all happy enough to make their comrades' lives difficult.

Videl was on the ground too, groaning as she pushed her body up. Tobney was watching her curiously. His boot was casually resting on her spine. Videl was actually still weak enough to use the weights but they didn't want her to feel left out so they always paired someone up with her. It basically meant a less straining training for that person and they all didn't mind that. The man had to be careful not to put too much pressure on her. Recently, they found out Videl could actually break her bones quite easily. At least, easier than the rest of them. It happened a couple days ago. Tobney only punched Videl and she held up her arm to block the punch. The crack was heard all around the training room and Videl fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Tobney punched straight through the bones in her lower arm. They had to rush her to the rejuvenation tank.

Gohan suggested that she take it easier but Videl refused to do so. She wanted to be brought up to their speed and that could only happen if she joined them during their training. She was an enigma for the warriors. She was strong and getting stronger every day. But her bone structure was weak. Weaker than Gohan's. They all expected to be confronted by a system similar to Gohan's but it wasn't like that at all. Videl could not see in the dark. She could not sense power levels as well as Gohan could and her bones broke easily. They realized that most of Gohan's strengths actually came from his Saiyan side.

Still, Videl displayed perseverance similar to that of the half-saiyan. When her arms shivered as she didn't push up as quickly as before Tobney leaned closer to her and whispered: "Come on, Videl. You can do better than that. Do you want Gohan to see you can't keep up?"

This worked and Videl clenched her teeth together as she forced her body up once more. Tobney smiled as he watched her go. He knew how to play this one. That was always a good thing to know. The man straightened up only to realize that Comora was standing near them. The man gave him an appreciative nod and Tobney grinned back.

The warriors all struggled through their drills. One would almost forget that, aside from all the parties, press conferences and paper work, they had to suffer through these drills every day. All to keep up their stamina and physique. The warriors would do their exercises and then spend a few hours sparring. It was hard work but they all liked to start their days like this. It would get their nerves and jitters out of their system. They would go for lunch afterwards, usually accompanied by at least one of their comrades, and then they would get to whatever office work, meeting or second training they would have to do.

After the drills, Gohan was sitting on the ground, rubbing his right wrist with his left hand. He smiled when he noticed Videl coming towards him. She looked absolutely exhausted already. "Do you think you can handle it today?" He asked.

Something changed in her expression as she heard his comment. "Of course. Question is, can you handle it?"

Gohan accepted the bottle of water she brought for him. "I can handle anything as long as I have my best friends around."

"Are we really making training emotional these days?" Tobney complained as he walked by. "Don't let him fool you. Gohan likes hurting his friends during these training-matches."

Gohan grinned. "I definitely like hurting you."

"Well then." Comora spread his arms as he watched them from a distance. "What are you all still waiting for?"

That was a very good question.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Okay, everyone ready?" Comora asked as he headed into the living room that same evening. He was followed by most of the Suta Team. Tobney's normally so neat living quarters was now filled with people, clothes, boxes and equipment. Several mirrors were set up on the kitchen island. Solarus was seated near one and a make-up artist with long blonde hair and heavily made-up eyes was applying makeup to her face.

Tobney was standing in front of the armour rack with Gohan as they tried to figure out what to wear over their black uniforms. Videl was walking around in a red dress with a fluffy skirt that went down to her knees. She was barefoot though and she headed for the box with all the shoes.

"Nobody's ready." Comora complained. A few heads turned in his direction and he received a few greetings but nobody really seemed to be in a hurry. The man turned to his subordinates. "Suno, urge Solarus on. Kaon, collect Videl for me. I'll go help the two damsels in distress with their armours." The men all nodded in response and walked away to follow his orders.

Gohan pulled a set of armour from the rack and he studied it. The half-saiyan took a breath. "I feel like I'm going to regret this." He said, frowning slightly.

They discussed this party a couple days ago during the meeting they had right after Gohan found out why he was really on the ship. First of all, Tobney advised that Gohan kept filming and streaming videos so that the universe knew he really was back on the ship. That would draw the attention of the enemy away from planet earth. But that wasn't everything Tobney wanted to change...

"Also," Tobney said during their meeting, "I think you should take back your position as lord of the army."

Gohan widened his eyes a little while Comora sat up. "Sir, we didn't discuss this." Comora said, frowning a little.

"I don't see the problem." Tobney added. "We have to make Naldersthlen believe that you're here with us. What better way is there than you taking back command over the army. According to the rest of the universe, you never actually abdicated. You just went on faraway travels to strengthen our bonds and means of communication with some of our faraway allies. We could throw a big party to celebrate your return. Invite all the big names, film and showcase the preparations. Your face will be all over the gossip magazines and newspapers. They'll definitely know you're here."

"I guess," Gohan responded, "I just don't know if I want that. I didn't walk away from the spotlight just to walk back into it again."

Comora crossed his turquoise arms over each other. "I agree. Gohan can't handle all that." The man didn't notice how Gohan's brown eyes moved to him sharply. "He's been living the easy life on planet earth for years. We cannot just throw him into this high-speed society and expect him to keep up with it." The man looked to Gohan now. "You don't have to do that, Gohan. This is way out of your league." Tobney showed a small smile in response to Comora's words and he glanced to Gohan to see his reaction.

"No, I'll do it." Gohan said passionately. The half-saiyan sat up and pointed to Tobney's computer. "I'll assume the title again. Set it up. Make an announcement and let's start preparing for the party today."

"Are you sure?" Tobney asked, still smiling.

"Yes, definitely. I've never been surer in my life." Gohan returned firmly. While Tobney suggested he would take a moment to search for party planners, Gohan glanced to Comora. "I know what you did there."

"Do you now?" Comora returned meekly.

"Don't be too smug. I was planning on saying yes before you subjected me to your little mind games."

"I'm sure you did, sir." Comora fell into his subordinate role easily after Tobney took off his own Leader badge and handed it to Gohan.

The half-saiyan fastened the diamond badge to his armour. The badge contained a new symbol of a sun that was surrounded by different symbols that meant words as "freedom", "equality", "loyalty" and "liberty". Tobney and Gohan designed it together. They wanted their symbol to include the topics they considered important. Gohan now looked up as Tobney saluted. Their own salutation was an open palm over their heart. Gohan returned the salutation and smiled.

Right now, the half-saiyan dreaded this decision. He still hated the spotlight. He still didn't like giving speeches. And he would have to give one now. Comora helped him write it. He was going to account for his absence these past few months. He would have to if anyone was going to believe that he was really back. They invited a lot of business associates so Gohan could talk to them and ease their minds about his return as leader of the army.

"It's just a couple hours. It'll be over before you know it." Tobney responded as he grabbed a set of armour too. "And it will be fun. There'll be dancing and good food."

"Good food is always a good reason to go to a party." Gohan answered, smiling.

"We won't even get there if you two don't hurry up." Comora complained loudly. The two warriors turned to look at him. "Sir." Comora added once he was close enough. It sounded like an afterthought and Gohan found himself annoyed at the sentiment. "Sorry," Comora said when he noticed Gohan's expression, "old habits."

"From three years ago?"

"I apologize, sir. Now, the party is starting in five minutes and you two are the guests of honour." The man glanced at the armours in their hands. "These will do. Let's go."

Gohan and Tobney allowed Comora to guide them to the waiting room near the entrance to the ballroom. Gohan felt nervous as he thought about the speech he was supposed to give. He never really enjoyed speaking in public. He didn't know why it was so important for leaders to be able to do. Just speaking to a crowd. Who cared if he could address a crowd? All they needed to know was if he could make strategical decisions in a war. That was most important for a warlord, right?

A hand landed on Gohan's shoulder and Gohan looked sideways. Tobney smiled at him. "You can do it."

Gohan returned the smile. "Thanks." The two held their glances for a bit until Kanda appeared next to Tobney. She smiled at her husband as she took his hand. The two exchanged a kiss. Gohan watched this for a moment until he realized Solarus was standing next to him. The half-saiyan noticed the expression on Solarus' face as she watched her lover kiss Kanda. Gohan almost blew out a sigh, feeling horrible for both women in the room. He reached out and slowly curled an arm around her shoulders - giving her enough time to push him away if she didn't want the intimacy - but she only a smiled at him in return. The half-saiyan pulled her a little closer, squeezing her shoulders gently.

He was briefly reminded of their history as he studied her. He could still remember how they used to argue back when she was just bought by Vegeta. The Saiyan prince originally bought her as a gift to Gohan. The half-saiyan never showed any interest in her though, because he didn't want to force anyone into sleeping with him. Their relationship was difficult in the beginning. She didn't trust him and he didn't know what to do with her. Tobney was the one who broke through their difficult relationship. He considered Solarus beautiful from the moment he saw her. Tobney met the female warrior back in the days he tended to seek attention from women a lot. He tended to be in brief relationships, jumping from one woman to the next and sleeping with all of them. It was running joke in the Suta Team. Solarus was Gohan's though and Tobney always kept his distance from her because he was aware of this. She was one of the first women with whom he could develop a relationship based on friendship. That's probably why their love felt so strong now.

Videl smiled as she watched the brief interaction between Gohan and Solarus. The half-saiyan told her about the situation between Tobney, Kanda and Solarus. He asked her for advice on how to handle this. She remember telling him this was Tobney's decision and all Gohan could do was support all his friends. It was terrible advice but it was all she could think of.

"Sweetheart, isn't he?"

Videl widened her eyes for a moment as she looked sideways. Sianna was dressed in an official looking uniform and had her hair up in a high ponytail. She was wearing just the slightest bit of makeup, which made Videl realize she didn't mind makeup as much as she let on. Sianna crossed her arms over each other as her eyes landed on Gohan again. "I knew it when I saw Gohan interact with Comora's children." She said. A small smile was present on her face as her eyes seemed distant. "Tobney and Gohan were forced to keep an eye on the children as Vegeta took Comora and his wife out. The rest of the Suta Team didn't want to so they gave the job to Gohan and Tobney. They always got the annoying jobs. I went to their room to change their bedding and Gohan was pretending to be an airplane, running around the room with one of them on his back. The kids were having the time of their lives and Gohan looked so happy." Her smile dropped a little as she glanced to Videl. "When did you know?"

The two women didn't notice that Tobney blinked and turned to look in their direction. The young warrior raised an eyebrow and looked over to Comora. The second in command caught his glance and nodded in response.

Videl widened her eyes somewhat. "Know what?"

"That you like him."

"I don't like him." Videl could feel her cheeks warm up a little as she spoke.

Sianna gave her friend a pointed glance. "We see through bullshit quite quickly here, Videl." She said. "With all the teasing you're already getting from the others, you may as well have the fun part of the relationship too." The young woman widened her eyes when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders. She looked over her shoulders, right into Comora's red eyes.

"Sianna, we've been looking for you for days now." Sianna realized the rest of the Suta Team was standing behind Comora. The young warrior looked over to the front of the room to see that Tobney was already approaching her. With the Suta Team behind her and Tobney in front of her, she had nowhere to go.

The man seemed quite happy with himself as he approached the young woman. "Sianna, I'm so glad that you could join us."

Sianna, realizing that she was cornered, showed a hesitant smile now. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." She responded.

Tobney reached the female soldier and he circled her. "Honestly, I haven't seen you in days. It's almost as if you've been avoiding me." He was drawing it out and obviously enjoying it.

Sianna could feel her heart beating in her chest. She knew she would be in trouble once Tobney got his hands on her. She just didn't expect it to happen today. She'd hoped Tobney would let it go after a week and she expected him to not want to make a scene right before the party. "Why would I do that?" Her eyes followed him as far as they could without her having to move her head. She kept an eye on his power level as he walked behind her.

Gohan exchanged glances with Solarus. It was the first time he'd seen Sianna look so uncomfortable. Of course, they all had a long history. He could still remember how he and Tobney used to tease Sianna whenever she mouthed off at them or pulled a prank on them. Visions of them throwing Sianna in the swimming pool or forcing her fully-clothed body under a cold shower crossed his mind. It was the only retaliation they could make against the young woman back when they were stronger than she was.

"Now, why would I think that? Maybe because you ratted me out to my best friend, huh?" Tobney snarled in response as he got into her face.

"Gohan had to know." Sianna snarled back at him. She wasn't backing down. "It wasn't fair that you kept this a secret."

"It was not your place to decide when and where to tell it, Sianna." Tobney raised his voice to her but Sianna didn't even flinch. She kept her gaze straight ahead, her hands curled together behind her back. "You know what; I know that you don't care about my authority. I know that you will never listen to me or show me any sign of respect. But I cannot keep cutting you slack, Sianna."

"Tobney, I..."

Tobney smacked her straight across the face for this offence. Videl gasped for air while Gohan pressed his lips together disapprovingly. "Address me in the proper way, soldier." Tobney ordered.

Sianna's eyes were wide because of this treatment. Her face was forced to turn sideways by the blow and she now turned to look back at Tobney. Her cheek was bright red, but not only from the punch, she was also embarrassed at being treated like this. "I've never had to..." She wanted to say that she never had to address him properly. He never made a big deal out of it for her.

"Maybe it's time you started to." Tobney cut her off before she could finish her sentence.

Sianna could feel a chuckle starting to build up in her chest and she let it out. "Is this how all men get when the power gets to their head?" She asked, looking him right in the eyes. Her hand moved to caress her cheek. "Cause you're feeling an awful lot like Vegeta." She added. Gohan realized that she was talking about the fact that Vegeta used to smack her around for the smallest offences as well.

Tobney frowned in response. "I think it's time you learned your place." He stated. "Your team is now disbanded until further notice." Sianna gasped out loud. Solarus slowly shook her head as tears filled up her eyes. Kanda gave her husband a hesitating glance, wondering how she could stop him from inflicting so much pain. "The members of your squad will be distributed over the elite teams temporarily. You'll join the Suta Team."

Comora placed a hand on Sianna's shoulder again. "We'll accept you gladly."

She shook his hand off. "You can't do this!" She snarled at Tobney. She worked hard for years to create that team. He couldn't just take it away from her.

"Yes, I can. I'm the leader of the army. You helped me get there, remember?" Tobney leaned over her, his nose nearly touching hers. "This is your own fault."

Sianna was breathing fast as she clenched her fists. She pushed at him, snarling at him in the process. "How dare you, you jerk!" Hands responded immediately, pulling her back from the Lord of the Universe so she couldn't inflict any other injuries. "Can't handle me on your own, Lord Tobney?" She said mockingly as she fought against the hands that were pulling her arms back.

"I have no time to adequately deal with you now." Tobney responded as he waved her away. "Guys, please make sure to keep your new member subdued during today's celebrations. I'll leave it to you."

"You can, sir." Comora bowed in response, placing a hand between Sianna's shoulders to force her to bow along with him. "Let's go, guys. Come along, sweetheart." Comora pushed Sianna towards the entrance to the hallway. She gave one last glare to Tobney before she left the room with the others.

Tobney let out a sigh as he turned back to the others. Kanda showed a small smile as she reached out her hand to him. The man stepped closer to her and took it. "It's only temporary, right?" Kanda asked, smiling. "You don't mean to really take her team away from her."

"Of course not." Tobney returned her smile. Kanda seemed reassured and she looked back to the entrance when a servant announced the doors would open soon. Right before the doors opened, Tobney glanced sideways to catch Gohan's expression. The half-saiyan held his gaze for a moment, sending his friend an expression that told him one thing; the half-saiyan didn't approve, but he didn't say anything as his attention was caught by the doors opening.

Tobney could feel his insides turn to stone at Gohan's disapproving glance but he pushed it aside as he looked to the doorway. The light from the ballroom lit up the room and the people inside started applauding for them. Tobney took a deep breath. It was show time.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******


	18. Chapter 18: A Friendly Disagreement

**Chapter 18. A Friendly Disagreement.**

"Gohan!"

The half-saiyan turned around to meet the eyes of someone he hadn't seen for years. And the years had done her good. Her golden eyes sparkled as she met his gaze. Her black hair appeared longer than it was last time he saw her. It was pushed together in a long braid and a golden decoration was weaved through the long tail. The same golden details made her dark green dress shimmer slightly. The fabric clung to her torso but fell loosely around her legs. It was the kind of skirt that would flail up whenever Lizis spun around.

"Lady Lizis! It's so good to see you. How have you been?" They did the intergalactic greeting by pressing their palms against each other as they grinned at each other. Lizis's fingers curled around his hand and she held it for a moment as she studied him.

"Oh, you've grown into such a handsome man, haven't you? I really missed the boat there." Good old Lizis was still as blunt as ever. "Though I didn't even know I missed it until I read the gossip magazines." She chastised after that.

Gohan could feel blushes appear on his cheeks. She was totally right. He never really told her that he was going to overthrow Vegeta. After that, he never really contacted her to discuss how they would continue their fake relationship. He grabbed hold of her other hand so he could hold both hands. "You have every right to be angry." He stated as he gently squeezed her hands. "I got so caught up in the rebellion that I forgot how far the aftermath could reach."

"It's fine. You owe me one though." Lizis released his hands to playfully tap his chest plate. "And I'll definitely find a way to collect from one of the most powerful men in the universe."

"Should I be scared?"

"Of course." Lizis winked at him. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you." She caught sight of someone over Gohan's shoulder. "Lady Kanda! Lord Tobney!" She waved cheerfully and beckoned the couple to come closer. "Lord Tobney," she curtsied casually before looking to Kanda and grabbing her hand, "I need to tell you something in private. Come with me!"

"Oh!" Kanda gave a smile to her husband. "Mystery. I love it." She followed Lizis eagerly after this.

"What was that about?" Tobney asked as they watched the two women walk away.

Gohan took a breath as he followed Tobney's line of sight. The young warrior looked to Tobney now. "What happened to Lizis's position after I left?"

"Oh, ehhh..." Tobney thought this over for a moment, "she inherited the company from the father and she is now running it. The business flourished since she started. It's been doing well. They're now one of the largest companies in the universe."

"Right..." Gohan pressed his lips together. "I think I just indebted our company to one of the largest companies in the universe."

Tobney gave the half-saiyan a confused glance so Gohan decided to explain what just happened.

Meanwhile, Videl was standing near the refreshment table. It was weird for her to be at this massive party. She'd been to parties with her father as he was a celebrity. However, the balls and functions she'd attended back home were nothing compared to this. Aliens of all sizes and shapes were walking around. Different types of food she couldn't recognize were decorating the tables. The room was so great she figured she could run out of breath running from one side to the other. She heard languages she couldn't understand. People were giving her weird looks as if she was the one so different from them. She had several people asking her if she was a saiyan too. Maybe related to lord Gohan? The youngster felt somewhat annoyed but she guessed she did look somewhat like the half-saiyan with her dark hair and fair skin.

Gohan, too, was really weird to watch. It was like he was a different person. The half-saiyan used to be distant and cool back at school. He didn't care about being popular. He never cared about making friends other than Videl. And they sort of became friends because of their desire to defeat each other. However, here he was, smiling, confident and... Charming. He spoke to everyone he met, shaking hands, exchanging opinions, leading the way to the refreshments. He seemed to know everyone here and he was talking to every single person.

"If you really don't want people to think you're in love with Gohan, you should stop staring at him." Solarus gave advice from beside her.

Videl shrugged. "I can't help it. He seems so different."

Solarus playfully pushed her lavender bangs off her forehead before she took a glass of wine from a waiter and offered it to Videl. The human shook her head to refuse the alcoholic drink so Solarus took it herself. "I know right. He can turn it off and on at will. That's why he's so good at this." She glanced to Videl. "Don't forget that he has years of experience. He started being Vegeta's spokesperson when he was fifteen."

Videl looked to Solarus. "He told me the gist of what happened the past couple years." She stated. "I don't know the details though."

"I don't know much of what happened before I joined this army but I met him when he was still a kid. Vegeta bought me to be Gohan's concubine." She explained. "I think I was about sixteen and he was thirteen. I'm not sure. He was so sweet back then. He didn't know what to do. He had no idea how to handle women." A smile appeared on her face as she spoke about the young Gohan. "Back then, I wanted to escape, and he promised to help me, but he didn't have the means to help me. Vegeta kept a strict eye on him. Gohan was still a slave with no rights whatsoever. He treated me like a princess though. He bought me gifts all the times. I think he was hoping he could distract me from my wish to escape. As I said, he has no idea how women work."

"Well, I think his only example of a woman other than his mother was Bulma and Bulma was quite into material things." Videl answered, smiling too. "Tell me more."

"That was about it for a couple years. Once I realized that I was going to stay, I wanted to make the most of it and I wanted to start studying. Gohan helped me by bringing me the books and hiring a private tutor on Vegeta's account. This stopped after about a year when Vegeta found out and he punished Gohan harshly." Solarus closed her eyes and shook her head to get rid of the mental images that appeared in her mind's eye as she thought about this. "That's when I first realized the position Gohan was in. I always thought he could do everything he wanted without a care in the world. Gohan was really in trouble back then. Vegeta investigated and found out about all the things Gohan had been buying in Vegeta's name." Solarus pressed her lips together. "I couldn't understand how someone could hurt a fifteen-year-old in such a horrid manner. Then again, I hear he's been treating Gohan like that since Gohan was five years old. Honestly, it's a miracle Gohan is still mentally intact. After that, I started to work as a babysitter in the pleasure quarters. I forgot about studying. Gohan tried to convince me to go back to it but I didn't want him to get punished again. And then the whole arranged marriage thing started. Did Gohan tell you about that?"

Videl nodded in response. Tobney was forced to marry Kanda in order to form a financial and social bond between Vegeta's army and Kanda's company.

"So, that sort of took all my attention for quite a while. Same went for Gohan, Tobney, Vegeta... Everyone."

"What are we talking about?" Gohan popped up behind them and the two women jumped out of their skins. The half-saiyan smiled at their blushes. It was always flattering to be able to make someone jump.

Solarus cleared her throat. "We were just going through some of your childhood memories."

Gohan made a face in response. "It's great when everyone else remembers you as a child. It honestly means you've been working with the same people too long." He complained.

Solarus couldn't help but smile in response. "Don't worry. It's all good."

Gohan snorted. "I'll bet. Okay, I'm pulling you two apart." He looked to Videl and smiled. "My lady, will you join me for a dance?"

Solarus gasped and placed her hands in front of her mouth in excitement. Videl hesitated as she looked around. Her eyes moved from Tobney, to other members of the Suta Team. None of them were looking at the two but she still wasn't sure about this. "Are you sure? I mean... They can see us."

Gohan's smile had a determined look about it. "I'm very sure." He was definitely sure when he saw Videl in her outfit for today. "Let them see it. I want to dance with you and, if you want to dance with me too, that's all that matters."

"Then, by all means monsieur, lead me to the dance floor." She accepted his hand and they walked away. Videl looked over her shoulder to Solarus. "We'll continue this conversation later."

Solarus moved up her glass as if to toast to them. "Enjoy!"

Gohan led her to the dancefloor. There he placed one hand on her waist while he held her hand in his other one. Videl's hand landed on his shoulder. The two fell into the pattern dictated by the music. Videl had been practicing the steps for the typical dances but she still found it difficult to keep up. Luckily, Gohan wasn't that much better. He'd had years of practice but he never really mastered the art of dancing.

Videl could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest as she studied Gohan from close up. The half-saiyan's eyes were momentarily scanning the room before they moved back to meet her blue eyes. Videl smiled at him when Gohan smiled at her. "How are you enjoying the party?" He asked her.

"It's great." Videl's voiced sounded rough and she quickly swallowed to moisturize her throat. "It's really weird to be part of something like this."

"I know. It's not something I can get used to." Gohan responded. The half-saiyan briefly made her twirl around and Videl couldn't help but laugh in response. Tobney was standing on the other side of the room and he nudged Comora. His comrade looked in his direction and Tobney nodded to the dancefloor.

"I never knew you could be so charming, Gohan." Videl continued once she they were dancing together again.

"I only am when I try." Gohan shrugged. "It's not really me."

"So, you're pretending to be someone else on purpose?"

"I know what the universe wants me to be." Gohan's brown eyes focused on her blue eyes. Sianna was hanging out with Kanda close by and the two women grinned at each other before they looked back to the Earth-born couple. "Is this something you could get used to?"

Videl gave him a confused glance. "These parties?"

Gohan nodded. "That and general life on this ship. As you know, we're now travelling to find out who is threatening my life and we want to defeat them. After that... I'm going to have to make a decision as to whether I want to stay here or not... So..." Gohan took a breath. "If I would decide to stay here... Would you... Do you think you could stay here too?" Gohan pressed his lips together. He hoped he explained it well enough. He wasn't sure.

"Are you asking me to stay here with you? As your friend?"

"As my girlfriend." Gohan's eyes were focused on hers. She widened her blue orbs for a moment. "I like you, Videl. And I'm hoping... I hope... I…I'm hoping the feeling is mutual." The half-saiyan was nervous and he hated that he started stuttering because of it. A fine man he made.

"You're hoping that, huh?" Videl couldn't help but grin as she threw her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss on his lips. Solarus swooned as she placed a hand on her collarbone and let out a sigh. Sianna and Lizis cheered and exchanged a high-five. Tobney raised both his eyebrows as she scoffed – thinking his younger comrade did it again.

Gohan returned her kiss happily. He wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her closer. They'd been waiting for this for months. Both secretly like the other while trying to deny the attraction. Now, all this anxiety, hope and stilled lust represented itself as they exchanged sweet kisses, separated by longer intense kisses.

Not noticing the flashes of the camera's that went off around them, Videl and Gohan ceased their kisses and they smiled at each other. Dancing closely together now, the two smiled at each other. Nothing could destroy this brief moment of love and passion they shared - not even Tobney, who, still keeping an eye on Gohan and Videl, whispered something in Comora's ear and exchanged a grin with his older comrade.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

Gohan activated the coffee machine. After the party yesterday, he could really use the coffee. The youngster could still feel his heart lift as he thought about last night. A small smile was present on his face as he thought about the kiss he shared with Videl. It had been sweeter than he expected. Her lips were so soft against his. The young warrior could feel a sensation settle in his stomach and he tried to move his thoughts away from Videl's soft skin. This was not a good train of thought right before a three hour meeting.

"I would love a coffee." Sianna spoke behind him.

"Sure, how would you like..." The young warrior looked over his shoulder at Sianna and was about to turn back to the coffee machine before his mind registered the sight he just saw behind him. The half-saiyan looked back to Sianna and, more specifically, the group of women with her. Denisra, Lizis and Irisra were standing behind Sianna - all smiling at him. Gohan turned to them fully, his back to the counter. His first instinct was to run. He knew he had a way out if he headed around the kitchen island but one look in that direction showed him that Solarus was standing there, her arms crossed and with the same smile on her face. He was cornered.

Meanwhile, Videl was sitting in one of the large elite training rooms. She was just adjusting her boot. A training session so early in the morning was probably a new torture manner Comora invented to toughen her up. Because that seemed to be the main theme she was confronted with these days. She had to be toughened up. Why? She had no idea. Comora considered the fact that she grew up in peace on planet Earth as a way too soft and easy childhood. Then again, compared to Gohan, Sianna and Tobney, that probably was an easy childhood.

Videl was still bent over as a shadow approached her. Her eyes were still on her boots. "I'm ready." She stated.

"Good." Tobney's voice made her look up and she widened her eyes when she realized the entire Suta Team was standing behind him. Tobney grinned at her. "Cause we need to talk to you."

Back in his own common room, several female hands manhandled Gohan onto one of the high chairs. Several projectors and laptops were placed in front of him, all showing front pages of different papers and gossip magazines. The covers all showed different pictures of Videl and Gohan's kiss. Some were the same; others were taken from different angles. Titles like "Lord Gohan's New Mystery Woman Revealed!" and "Lord Gohan Prefers His Own Race's Authentic Flavor" and "Lord Gohan's New Relationship Takes The Universe By Storm". Gohan pressed his lips tightly together as he realized where the women were going with this.

Sianna stood next to him and she leaned on the kitchen island with her arms. "I hope you weren't planning on keeping this a secret because I think it is out."

Solarus leaned on the kitchen island on the other side of him. "I thought the kiss was adorable. What was it like?"

"I'm not going to tell you that."

"Did you sleep with her last night?" Sianna asked. "She wasn't in your room this morning."

"That's none of your business."

"Aww, come on." Lizis smiled as she stood next to Sianna, looking over at him. "Don't hold out on us now."

"Come on, tell us." Denisra added from behind him. The formation of the women made him feel somewhat claustrophobic, but maybe that was their intention.

"So, tell us about the kiss." Solarus encouraged. "I'm so jealous. I've been hanging around you for years and you've never even given me a second look. And you've only known her for a little while and she gets to kiss you."

"You're definitely missing out." Sianna added. "Get you someone who can do both the romantic and aggressive one."

"I'll say." Lizis smiled as she exchanged glances with Sianna. She kissed Gohan back when there was a brief period in which they were supposed to be courting each other. "I've only had one but it definitely tasted like more."

Gohan was now hiding his face behind his hands, his elbows placed on the table. How did he get in this situation? How did they gang up on him like this? Why did a group of woman instill more fear in him than the Suta Team?

"That they do." Sianna responded, grinning at Gohan's embarrassment.

"Look at you passing around kisses." Irisra teased as she stood next to Solarus. Gohan lowered one of his hands so his lower arm could rest on the table and he only had one hand near his face now, his chin resting against his chuckles as he glanced to Irisra. "I remember it like it was yesterday that you were eleven years old - too small for the standard uniforms."

"Exactly. That was before you had the stubble on your chin." Denisra reached from behind him to pinch his cheeks and Gohan made an annoyed sound as he moved up his hands to push her arms away. The women around him chuckled in response.

"Are you done?" Gohan asked after Denisra's hands landed on his shoulders and gently started massaging him.

"Nah," Sianna smiled at him, "We're just getting started." Several smiles appeared on faces in response to this, especially when Gohan let out a sigh.

In the training room, Videl stood up from the bench. She glanced behind her only to be confronted with a wall she knew was there. They had her cornered. Tobney tilted his head sideways as he studied her. "So, you think you can hook up with our little Saiyan?"

"Is this about yesterday?"

"We're the ones asking questions here."

"Maybe you should discuss this with Gohan." Videl tried. Maybe she could warn him.

"We'll catch him later." Tobney responded as he waved her answer away. "Besides, the women are working on him and one should never mingle with a group of women. We prefer to deal with them when they're on their own."

Videl wasn't sure what they were planning but it couldn't be good. "Women?" Her eyes wandered sideways as her senses went out towards Gohan in order to find out who was with him.

Comora snapped his fingers to draw her attention. "Focus here, little lady." Her blue eyes shot back to them.

"What do you want?" Videl asked.

"As I said," Tobney made a movement with his hand and the rest of the team fanned out around him, creating a half circle around Videl. "We want to talk about yesterday."

"What do you want to know?" Videl asked as she watched them do this. Whenever she met the eyes of one of the men around her, they returned a smile. Their looks weren't hostile, just amused. Was this what Gohan warned her for when he said that they could take their teasing a little far sometimes?

"Please," Gohan stated back in his common room, "let this go."

"We're supposed to let the new relationship of our favorite Saiyan go?" Denisra repeated, grinning at the rest of the women. "Do you hear what he's asking us?"

"That simply won't do, Gohan." Sianna responded, just as amused.

"You see, you're like a little brother to us." Irisra added. "And as long as you're the youngest of the group, we will continue to dote on you."

"Especially when you get a new puppy love." Solarus reached out and moved one of the projectors that was displaying the kiss between Videl and Gohan closer to them. "I like this one the best. It makes you look like a real man."

"As much as that's possible." Sianna teased from beside him.

The half-saiyan only shot her a glare in response to this. Denisra's hands were still on his shoulders, her thumbs now gently caressing the back of his neck. "Okay. What do I have to do to get out of this situation?" He asked, giving up. The women around him gave him smiles in return.

In the training room, Itoro leaned against the wall behind Videl. He was standing about a feet on the right from her. Suno was standing an equal distance from her on her left. Her attention was mainly focused on Tobney - who was still standing in front of her. "Is Gohan your first boyfriend?"

"That's none of your business."

"Did you sleep with him last night?"

"That is even less of your business."

"Oh come on." Comora chipped in. "We need to know when someone is seducing our youngest recruit."

"Seducing?" Videl repeated, outraged. "He asked _me_ to dance."

Tobney had been studying her facial response to Comora's comment and now took a breath to respond. "Who initiated the kiss?"

"You don't ask things like this." Videl complained.

"We do." Comora responded sweetly. "Did Gohan never tell you there's no privacy in this army?"

"Especially not for our youngest." Tobney added.

"He did complain about that, yes." Videl said, frowning. "Do you know how much he loathed your interference with his life?"

"He never told you how much he enjoyed interfering with my love-life, did he? Cause it definitely was a too-way street, Videl." Tobney responded, considering all the times Gohan made fun of him about his girlfriends. Gohan tended to put Tobney on the spot, stealing pictures of Tobney's girlfriends or even reading entrances of his diary out loud to the rest of the team.

"Was it a two-way street for Sianna too?"

"Sianna?" Tobney was momentarily confused and Videl realized she'd spoken about something Sianna hadn't discussed with Tobney yet. "What about her?"

"You should talk to her about that." Videl responded, feeling bad now. She honestly thought Sianna already addressed the problem. "Soon."

Tobney's expression changed. "I will." He would definitely discuss it with Sianna if the latter was keeping something from him.

Back in the common room, Gohan gave the women around him an annoyed glance. "Fine. I will answer any question that is not too intrusive." He relented.

"So, did you sleep with her?"

"Too intrusive." Gohan glanced to Sianna.

"Who started the kiss?" Irisra asked.

"She did. After I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend."

"You asked her to be your girlfriend?" Solarus swooned.

"Ah, that's adorable." Irisra added.

"Next question." Gohan encouraged, hoping this would be over soon.

"Did you have any other girlfriends while on planet Earth?" Sianna asked.

Gohan met her gaze now. "Did you have any other boyfriends while I was gone? Aside from Brius."

Sianna's gaze didn't waver. "We're asking the questions here."

"You tell yours, I'll tell mine." Gohan suggested.

The female warrior's eyes narrowed for a moment as she leaned in even closer. "No, I was too busy improving my skills and creating a company."

"Same here. Too busy getting an education." Gohan didn't back down.

A small smile played around Sianna's lips. "Well isn't that a shame."

"Whooo..." Solarus let out a high pitched sound as she tried to wave herself some air with her hand. "Sexual tension is making it hot and heavy in here."

Gohan and Sianna both left their mutual trance and they sat back on their seats. Denisra's hand - which actually released him earlier - now returned to tease his dark hair. "One woman at a time, lover boy."

Back in the training room, Tobney stepped closer to Videl. The young woman didn't back down. She wasn't intimidated by proximity. She'd been there with a lot of different types and sizes of men. "So, he asked you to dance. And you batted your pretty blue eyes at him..." He smiled when Videl rolled her eyes after his last comment. "Smiled, flirted a little and you kissed him."

"Why do I feel like I'm on trial?" Videl asked.

"So you're guilty?"

Videl placed her hands on her face for a moment. "This is unbelievable." She lowered her hands only to meet Tobney's amused expression. "Fine. I'm guilty. But I didn't just kiss him. He asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend."

Suno laughed in response while Itoro slowly shook his head. Comora scoffed. "Typical." He stated.

Ignoring the comments from his comrades, Tobney looked Videl in the eye. "And you said...?"

"The kiss was my answer." Videl couldn't help but sound annoyed at having to explain it.

"Very romantic." Comora managed to sound sarcastic.

Videl took a breath as she crossed her arms over each other. "Alright, I'm done answering questions." She turned sideways and tried to leave the circle but Suno and Itoro stretched out their arms to close the gap between them.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tobney raised both his eyebrows at her when she looked back to him. "We're not done with you yet."

Back in Gohan's common room, Solarus sat up. "You know what; you were going to make coffee, weren't you?" She stated as she looked to the half-saiyan. "I think we could all use a coffee and then we'll continue the interrogation."

Gohan looked around the group and he considered resisting this notion. However, he realized that going along with this would make it all go over sooner. The young warrior took a breath and let it out before he got up. "Alright. Who wants what?"

The women cheered while Gohan headed to the coffee machine. "Sianna?" Gohan asked, glancing towards her.

"Black coffee, please." She responded.

"Ahhh, look at that." Denisra leaned on the table with her elbows. "Is there a prettier picture than a cute guy making coffee?"

Gohan made a face as he was turned away from them and he turned back around to give Sianna her coffee. Irisra knew the answer to that. "Yes, a cute guy making coffee without a shirt on." She grinned at Gohan.

"Yes!" Sianna tugged on the white shirt Gohan was wearing. The half-saiyan tended to wear human fashion when he just got out of bed.

"Shirt off!" Solarus cheered. The other women joined in and they chanted "Shirt off, shirt off, shirt off!"

Gohan waited for them to settle down. If only he grew up in a world without Irisra, Denisra and Stirania, he wouldn't be used to this and he would still be blushing. Back when he was very young, he would see how they teased Tobney and he would always wonder how Tobney put up with it. His best friend didn't seem to mind though. It was somewhat of an adjustment when Gohan started to become the victim of their teasing. It probably happened when he was about fifteen. He would blush in the beginning, adding to their amusement. These days, he probably still blushed, but he knew he just had to be patient and they would get bored.

The young warrior blew out a sigh as they chanted and he looked to Sianna - who was studying him quietly. She was the only one who wasn't chanting along with the others. "So, when can I sign up for that sexual harassment course?" He asked.

Sianna laughed in response. "I'll send you an e-vite."

The atmosphere in the training room changed a bit as Videl frowned at Tobney. "I'm done, Tobney. I don't like this anymore."

The warrior spread his arms. "I thought you were here to train. So let's train." The man shrugged. "And if we want to ask you a couple questions during the training, who is going to stop us?"

"Are you threatening to torture me?" Videl asked, frowning.

"Nah," Tobney grinned at her in response, "I would never do that."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"And I look sideways and there's this guy standing next to me and he grabs my arm and tries to pull me off the stage. Luckily, he didn't expect me to be able to fight back and so I raised my free arm and I smashed it down onto his arms to force him to let me go. And he did. He looked at me and I punched him right in the face!" Solarus raised her fist in the air as she said this. The rest of the group was now spread around the kitchen island.

Sianna nodded in response. "It was admirable." She admitted. Solarus wasn't necessarily used to having to defend herself in a real threatening situation. Yes, she trained with Sianna and the others, but she never really encountered an actual life-threatening situation in which she had to use her skills.

"And I have you to thank for it." Solarus placed a hand on Sianna's lower arm. "You showed me how to fight as a woman and use my weaknesses to my advantage." Solarus looked to Gohan. "She has been such an amazing role model for a lot of women these past few years."

"I'll believe that." Gohan responded, smiling. Sianna could feel blushes forming on her cheeks and she waved the comments away, saying anyone could have done what she did. Gohan checked his watch and was somewhat disappointed when it showed that he'd been chatting away for two-and-a-half hours now. After he made everyone coffee, the conversation moved away from Gohan's love-life and settled on general chitchat. Gohan had to admit he enjoyed this time with the ladies. The atmosphere was great as they were all talking and laughing, just having a relaxing time together. "I'm going to have to go soon. I've a meeting."

"Aaww," Irisra smiled, "I guess we got distracted from our mission, didn't we?"

"That's okay. I'm sure the guys got their fill of Videl so we'll have information from both sides." Solarus added.

"Videl? What?" The half-saiyan let his senses search for his girlfriend. "Why are the guys talking to..." He frowned when his senses picked up on Videl's wavering power level. "What the hell?" Gohan disappeared from his seat, leaving the women to gasp at his speed. Sianna disappeared a moment later.

Videl blocked a punch from Suno but wasn't fast enough to catch the kick from Itoro. She was thrown forwards but she managed to use her energy to stop herself from falling down. She just about jumped sideways to avoid a punch from Tobney. The man followed her as he tried to punch her again but Videl managed to jump back every time to avoid getting hurt. This stopped when Comora appeared behind her and sent a blast. All Videl could do was turn around and cross her arms in front of her to protect herself from the blast. The energy tore at her flesh, burning into her skin but she clenched her teeth and pushed against it. Mustering every bit of power she had, Videl pushed the blast away and watched it race back to Comora. For just a single second, she let out a whine because of the burning pain in her scorched flesh. However, Tobney appeared next to her and he tried to punch her again. Videl brought up her burned arm to block the punch and she tried to use her leg to kick Tobney. The man curled his pale fingers around her ankle as a smirk appeared on his face. Videl's wide eyes showed her fear, especially when Comora appeared right next to them. Tobney curled a second hand around her leg when Videl tried to free herself. Comora was just creating a second blast. Videl shook her head as she tried to struggle free from Tobney's grip but his fists were like iron around her limb. Comora's eyes were cruel as he let the energy-orb grow in his hands - enjoying her fear.

"STOP RIGHT NOW."

Tobney and Comora looked sideways to the entrance of the room when they heard Gohan's voice. Tobney released Videl while Comora made the energy-orb disappear. Videl let out a relieved sigh when she noticed her boyfriend and she wanted to fly to him but Comora's arm got in her way and stopped her.

"Stand down, Comora!" Gohan called when he noticed the movement. Comora pulled his arm back to let Videl pass and he crossed his arms over each other afterwards. Videl chose to leave now and she quickly flew to her boyfriend. Gohan's attention went to her first and he quickly studied her. "Are you okay?" He asked once she was standing in front of him.

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken." Videl responded. She didn't look fine. Aside from the obvious burns on her arms, her face and body were sporting bruises and her uniform showed tears on several places. Multiple wounds were still open and bleeding, including one on her lips. Gohan gently brushed a trickle of blood from her chin before he looked back up to Tobney and Comora.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Tobney?" He snarled at the two warriors.

Tobney, Comora and the rest of the Suta Team had landed on the ground and were now approaching the other warriors. Sianna appeared in the doorway. She quickly approached Videl and did a quick check of her friend's physique before she too turned her attention to the rest of the group.

Before his boss could answer the question, Comora turned to Sianna. "Is this keeping Gohan away from the training room, Sianna?" He snarled at her. Sianna frowned back to him.

Gohan looked over his shoulder at her. "You knew about this?"

"I thought they were going to ask her some questions, just like how we did with you." Sianna explained. "I didn't expect they were going to beat her up!" She directed her last comment to the others and she raised her voice as she said it.

"Tone down the attitude, missy." Suno responded. "Don't forget you're talking to your superiors."

"I will show a proper attitude when you're actually acting like superiors and not just a bunch of goons."

Comora opened his mouth to answer but Tobney held up his hand to stop him. The second-in-command frowned as he gave Sianna a last glare -which she returned just as easily- and he turned to listen to his boss.

"Gohan, this is training. People get hurt during training." Tobney stated.

"Don't even try that, Tobney. I can recognize a beating when I see one." Gohan snarled back. "Why were you beating Videl up?"

"We were just... Testing her." Tobney responded.

"TESTING HER?" Gohan clenched her fists as he narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "By beating her up? What kind of test is that?"

"This sounds vaguely familiar." Sianna stated quietly. Comora gave her a dangerous glance and she realized she was pushing her luck. Then again, she wasn't good at being obedient. "You're doing the same to Videl as you did to Brius."

Gohan frowned thoughtfully as he let this comment sink in his mind. Tobney gave an annoyed glance to Sianna. "For once, be quiet!" She gave him a glare back in response but she followed his order.

"She's right though." Gohan stated, looking to his best friend. "What are you trying to test? Loyalty? Perseverance?"

"I want to see if she still comes back to you after undergoing a beating." Tobney admitted passionately.

"WHAT?" Gohan exclaimed. Sianna placed a hand on her forehead and let out a sigh. Videl lowered her gaze, frowning. "You were trying to push her away from me?"

"Any girl you date should be able to handle us. You're the strongest warrior in the universe and you're the leader of the most celebrated and envied army in the universe. She should be able to keep up with that. She should be able to defend herself against people stronger than us!" Tobney responded. "You should not be in a relationship with a weakling, Gohan!"

Videl scoffed as he crossed her arms over each other. Gohan could feel his temper flare up as he heard Tobney's choice of words. "Take that back!" He stepped closer as he clenched his fists.

Tobney stood his ground and he shook his head. "I stand behind what I said."

"You can't just start testing people we're in love with just to see if they hold up to your standards." Gohan stated as he stepped even closer to his best friend. The two were now standing almost chest to chest. Their power levels were flaring occasionally as if they were trying to outmatch each other.

"Yes, I can. If they can't handle the heat, they shouldn't be dating you two. Sianna and you were willing to give your lives for each other. You should never settle for something less." Tobney snarled in Gohan's face. "Be realistic, Gohan. Videl is just a human. She doesn't deserve to be with you. She will never be able to keep up. She's too weak!"

A punch from Gohan's hands made Tobney stop talking. The man stumbled back because of the power in the punch. He shook his head for a moment to get the stars out of his eyes before he looked back to his best friend. Gohan lowered his fist as he stepped back. "You won't even give up your relationship for the one you love, Tobney. You have no right to talk." He turned and smiled at Videl. "Let's go get you healed." He took her hand and the two warriors turned to leave the room. Sianna made a face and quickly followed them, not wanting to be left alone with the other warriors.

Comora frowned as he went over Gohan's last words. "What was he talking about?" He asked Tobney.

The lord of the universe shook his head as he frowned to the doorway through which Gohan had disappeared. "Nothing."


	19. Chapter 19: TickTock

**Chapter 19. Tick…Tock…**

Gohan tilted his head to the right and back - finding the crack in his neck somewhat soothing. At least that was something he could count on. The young warrior adjusted the band of his armour. The armour had a white colour with beige chest and shoulders guards. Several flashy diamonds and badges of honour decorated his chest armour. The youngster studied his reflection, wondering when he was going to be rid of seeing himself in these types of outfits. How did he end up back in the spotlight?

"Done studying yourself, sir?" Comora's voice taunted from the entrance to his bedroom.

The half-saiyan adjusted one of the medals on his chest. "Who gave you permission to just barge in here like that, Comora?"

"I have a very forgiving boss." Comora responded easily. The man was leaning against the doorpost as he watched Gohan make the last few adjustments to his appearance.

"Do you now?" Gohan now turned to look at his subordinate. "That is not really the army's way, now is it?"

Comora pushed away from the doorpost when he noticed Gohan was coming closer. The half-saiyan headed past him without saying anything else. The young warrior knew the way to the small waiting room right next to the room they generally used for press conferences. The rest of the Suta Team was already there. Tobney looked up from his conversation with Suno when Gohan entered the room. Gohan met his eyes only briefly but then looked away and headed for the doorway through which they were supposed to go to enter the press conference room. Tobney hesitated as he exchanged glances with Suno before he headed for Gohan.

"Hi."

"Morning." Gohan responded briefly. The half-saiyan proceeded to be very busy with the badges of honour on his armour.

"Gohan, I..."

"Let's just get this over with." Gohan looked at him now. "I have nothing to say to you."

Tobney blew out a sigh. "Fine. Be like that."

"I will."

The two warriors huffed as they turned to face the doorway, crossing their arms almost in unison. The rest of the Suta Team was standing near the other entrance and they were watching the scene with interest. Comora frowned when he realized the two warriors were not going to settle their argument any time soon. The man gave Sianna a push.

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Lighten the mood. They're too uptight like this." Comora hissed towards her.

"Why me?" Sianna snarled in response, keeping her voice low.

"That's what you do." He gave Sianna another push, almost forcing her forwards.

Sianna had to take a step forwards to steady herself and she sent him a glare over her shoulder. She stepped closer to her friends while trying to think of a way to lighten the mood. The female found herself really annoyed as she realized that the easiest way to make the boys less annoyed with each other was to find them a common goal to be even more annoyed with. She quickened her pace as she got closer and jumped forwards, locking her arms around their necks and pushing their heads against each other. The two were standing close enough to succeed but she could only hold them there for a second before their strength overpowered her.

"What the hell, Sianna?" Gohan complained as he rubbed over his head. Tobney's head felt like a brick stone.

"I felt you needed some encouragement to kiss and make up." Sianna answered sweetly. "And it was easy. Is it me or are you two weakening?"

Tobney scoffed. "Why don't we have a spar today and find out, huh?"

"Yeah," Gohan added, "just the three of us. See if you can keep up now."

Sianna grinned in response. "I might surprise you."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you do." Gohan returned easily. He looked over to Comora. "Hey, can we plan a training session with her right after this press conference?"

Comora considered this for a moment. "Sure, sir."

"Great." Gohan now grinned at Sianna. "Consider that a plan."

Comora was now approaching them and he told the two men to enter the press conference room. While Gohan and Tobney were occupied with their entrance, Sianna looked to Comora. "You're going to get me out of that training, sir." She whispered.

Comora seemed amused. "Why? A beating never stopped you."

"When I want to instigate it, no. But I did this because you wanted it. Now you have to return the favour, sir."

"I'll see what I can do."

The room fell silent as Comora announced their arrival. Gohan's brown eyes studied over the cramped room. Cameras were pointed at them, some flashing, others just silently watching. Aliens in all forms and sizes were staring at them, adjusting the microphones on their cameras, or holding up small recording devices. Some were already typing away on their laptops or whispering notes into their devices.

"You know the rules," Comora started, "raise hands to ask questions. We'd like to keep this organized." The members of the Suta Team were spread out along the walls of the room. Along with other guards, they kept an eye on the crowd while the questioning begun.

Sianna was placed on the back corner of the stage. Suno was standing on the other end. Sianna mainly kept her eye on the second row of the crowd, focusing on people who looked in directions other than the two lords or their own equipment. She had her hands clasped behind her back. Comora ordered her to tie her hair back this morning and so she braided her hair so she could tie it back.

The press conference went well. Gohan and Tobney explained why Gohan was back with the army and where he'd been these past few years. The half-saiyan explained he'd been away to talk to faraway planets and create lines of communication with different parts of the universe. Tobney explained that he didn't mind taking control of the army while Gohan was gone and he didn't mind going back to sharing his power now that Gohan was back.

"I have a question for Sianna." A woman with large white eyes and a blue coloured skin raised her hand.

The room fell silent as Gohan and Tobney glanced sideways to Sianna. The two warriors seemed just as surprised as she was. Sianna looked to Comora, who nodded, before she headed to the microphone. Gohan stepped aside so she could reach the microphone. "Yes?"

"You were part of the uprising, right?" The woman glanced down at her notes. "You were engaged in a relationship with Lord Gohan at the time." Sianna and Gohan exchanged glances. "But right after the rebellion won, you two broke up. And now you're in the elite team." Tobney pressed his lips together as his eyes went back to Comora. The older man gave an almost unnoticeable shrug. "That sparked rumours you just went into that relationship for the sake of rising to a better position. Care to comment on that?"

Sianna's eyes were wide as she realized how personal this question had become. The young warrior recollected her thoughts for a moment before attempting to reply. "Don't believe all the rumours you hear. That's all I have to say about my personal relationships."

Several hands moved up in the air. Comora nodded to a tall man with bright yellow eyes. "Recent reports say you are now in relationship with a second-class soldier Brius." Sianna could feel a sigh building up in her stomach. "But that relationship was discovered by Lord Tobney and therefore you broke it off. Are you and Lord Tobney having an affair?"

Tobney barked out a laugh in response to this while Sianna blew out the sigh she had been working on. Tobney leaned closer to the microphone as he sneaked an arm around Sianna's shoulders. "We love each other dearly." He said playfully. Sianna pushed his arm away in response. Gohan placed a hand on his forehead. How did this press conference land on the gossip surrounding them?

"I'm not having an affair with Tobney. Please stop..."

"But you do say his name without a title. This suggests an intimate relationship." The man continued. Suno and Itoro exchanged amused glances in response to the questions. This was way more entertaining than the usual press conferences.

Sianna couldn't quickly think of something to say, but that was fine as Tobney could respond to that. "Don't worry. That's just a problem with authority. Nothing more." He said sweetly.

"Lord Tobney, do you confirm the affair with Sianna? And how does Lord Gohan feel about this."

Gohan came closer to answer the question. "It breaks my heart. But I trust my best friend and I just want Sianna to be happy."

"Seriously?!" Sianna complained. "You can't play along with this! It's not true." She directed this last comment to the microphone but Gohan's arm got in the way, putting himself between the microphone and Sianna. Tobney realized what Gohan was doing and he joined in, pushing closer to the half-saiyan to form a barrier between Sianna and the microphone. She let out a snarl as she faced the wall of shoulders in front of her. Why were they taller than her? This was annoying.

"I didn't approve of her previous relationship so I'm happy to hear Sianna is now happy with Tobney." Gohan continued. The corners of his mouth moved up when Sianna gave a push against his back. "It will allow me to move on."

"And I'm happy to step in." Tobney added, grinning.

"Does this not affect your relationship?"

"No, it has made us better friends." Tobney now slung an arm around Gohan's shoulders. Sianna noticed a gap between the two friends and realized this was her chance. Gohan smiled as he responded by placing his arm around Tobney's shoulders too. "We know a woman will never come between us..."

Sianna's hands appeared on the sides of Tobney's and Gohan's ribs and she pushed them aside so she could push herself between them and reach the microphone. A sudden resistance told her they allowed her to push them to a certain extent. Their arms were still on each other's shoulders so she dived under the limbs so she could speak into the microphone. "Please don't believe this. It's not true."

"Lord Tobney, is it true?"

Tobney released Gohan and leaned closer to the microphone. "No, it's not true. Do you really think I would acknowledge rumours about an affair just like that?"

"So, you're not having an affair with Sianna?"

"Oh, so you do believe it when he says it?" Sianna burst out, frowning at the group. A hand landed on her head and she scoffed as Tobney gently ruffled her tightly braided hair.

Tobney was smiling at her fondly. "No, we're good friends, but that's all we are. She's like a younger sister to me."

Gohan was smiling as well as he allowed them a little more room to stand and speak. The game was over. "Lord Tobney is happily married." Gohan added. "So happily it's sickening, believe me."

"Lord Gohan, are you still heartbroken about your broken up relationship with Sianna?"

"It keeps coming back..." Sianna said miserably.

Gohan slowly shook his head. "We're good friends now. We love each other as friends. As for the first comment about the uprising, Sianna and I were in love long before we started talking about the rebellion."

"Years! They just didn't know it yet!" Itoro called from the back of the room. Heads turned in response to this.

"Thank you for your contribution, Itoro." Gohan responded. "But it's true." The half-saiyan took a breath as he looked to Sianna and met her eyes. "I can't speak for her, but I was in love with her when I was still a slave. Back when you were just appointed as a guard for the pleasure quarters and you still hated my guts." Sianna could only smile in response as her gaze softened. "So, it had nothing to do with my promotion or the rebellion."

"All right, that's it for the personal questions." Comora stepped away from his corner to take over the press conference. "Let's get back to the matter at hand." Sianna responded immediately, stepping back to her corner. She let out a sigh as she glanced to Suno. The man was standing on the other side of the stage and he shrugged in response to her glance. This was part of the circus, he seemed to say.

After the press conference, Tobney approached his best friend. The half-saiyan gave him quite an icy glance. They may have seemed friendly during the press conference but that was all an act, at least for Gohan. He didn't want the universe to know they were not the best friends right now. Videl was standing next to him, helping him out of the flashy armour. She was carrying a simple piece of armour that he could wear for the rest of the day. Tobney took a breath as he addressed Videl. "Videl, I'm so sorry for my behaviour." Gohan and Videl both seemed surprised by this. "I had no right to treat you like that. There are no excuses."

"Why..." Videl hesitated but then pushed on, "why are you so afraid of Gohan or Sianna moving on?"

"I don't know. I think it's because I always sort of saw the relationship Gohan and Sianna had as true love, you know. They fought their way through everything. They were prepared to give their lives for each other. I felt like if they could find that kind of love, I could too." Tobney shrugged. "The idea that this kind of true love could break was unimaginable for me. I just..." Tobney noticed that Sianna was approaching them. She seemed to have heard her name as she looked as if she wanted to hear what he was saying. "If you two couldn't stay together, then who can? I'm so sorry, Sianna."

The female warrior smiled at him. "We still love each other," she wrapped an arm around Gohan's waist while giving a brief glance to Videl to ask for permission, "as friends."

Gohan nodded to show his agreement. "It was puppy love, Tobney." He said, not knowing he was repeating something Sianna said to Tobney several weeks ago. "Sianna and I loved each other because we needed to draw strength from each other, right?" He glanced to Sianna - who nodded as she had her gaze lowered, her eyes distant as she thought about that time. Gohan now looked to his current love-interest. "Videl and I grew to love each other. We were enemies, then friends, and after a year or two I started to realize that I loved you. I just never said it."

Videl couldn't help but smile lovingly as he told her something she hadn't known before. That he'd loved her for quite a while before their first kiss. "I agree. I already liked you back in the days you were the only gentleman of the class," She ignored Gohan's "I wasn't being a gentleman!" and continued "and you didn't want to take my position as the strongest of the class."

Tobney grinned in response. "That sounds like Gohan."

"I just didn't care." Gohan defended himself. "That's a whole different story."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Sianna added.

"Okay, all in all." Gohan said, quickly changing the subject, "Tobney apologized. I think it's all good."

Videl nodded in response. "I agree. Thank you, Tobney." She responded. "I'm glad we can put this behind us."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Don't read that stuff, Sianna." Tobney said as he passed the young woman. A few days passed since the press conference and the intergalactic papers and magazines were still all about the so-called secrets that were revealed during the event.

Sianna was curled up on a couch in the common room of the Suta Team. Itoro, Suno and Gohan were playing cards at the kitchen island. Comora was teaching Videl how to read coordinates. Tobney handed her a coffee before he moved to the other side of the couch and sat down there. "It's trash."

Sianna glanced at the projection of a gossip magazine. "They're calling me the Elite Femme Fatale." She complained.

"Well, they're not wrong there!" Itoro called over from the other side of the room. Sianna and Tobney glanced in their direction for a moment. Tobney smiled in response while Sianna sent Itoro a glare.

Sianna slowly shook her head as she looked back to the magazine. "I thought I got rid of these annoying rumours."

Tobney shrugged as he moved his coffee closer to his mouth. "That's what happens when you're the only woman in team. Of course they'll pair you up with everyone here. It's just gossip." The man sipped from his coffee while Sianna closed the magazine with a huff. "I don't understand why you're so upset. Back in the days, rumour had it you fucked half the army before you got into a relationship with Gohan, which is something you've never commented on, actually."

Sianna moved up her hands. "That's something only I know... And Gohan, I guess."

The half-saiyan froze when he realized Itoro and Suno were giving him intense stares. The youngster scoffed. "Leave me out of this, please." He wasn't going to tell his comrades about his first sexual encounter with Sianna.

"Oh, come on," Tobney encouraged, "I'll admit I lost my virginity at fifteen."

"And many times after that." Comora interjected casually. "I think half the army is more correct for you than for Sianna."

"Fifteen?" Itoro continued, looking over at Tobney. "So, it was that girl with the ponytail, wasn't it? The one who never had her hair lose?"

"No, it was the one with the large eyes." Suno added, looking at his cards. "The ponytail came a couple weeks after that."

"Wasn't it the one with the dark skin colour?" Comora added.

"All the same," Tobney interjected, "as you can see," he motioned to the men around them, "there's no privacy anyway."

"No, there's no getting out of this for you." Suno complained from the other side of the room. Tobney lowered his arms and showed an annoyed expression. "Who's right? Which of those girls was it?"

"That's not the point." Tobney responded, frowning.

"That is so much the point!" Itoro returned. "You just told us when you lost your virginity. Might as well tell us with whom."

"I don't kiss and tell." Tobney responded. "Only two people in this room know and that will stay like that forever."

"Two?" Comora asked. The man's gaze automatically went to Gohan, the best friend. The half-saiyan noticed his glance and quickly looked back to his cards. "You've been awfully quiet about this, lord Gohan."

Gohan inclined his head in response. "As I should be."

Suno and Itoro gave him intense glances once more. "Well," Suno said casually, "at least we know who to get drunk soon." He smiled at the half-saiyan. Gohan scoffed in response, thinking he would have to be careful for at least a couple weeks.

"Okay," Tobney got up from the couch and snatched the projection out of Sianna's hand just as she was about to activate the magazine again. He ignored her annoyed "Hey!" and placed the projector on the table. "Let's distract you from these silly rumours. And what better way to distract you than a spar!"

Sianna slowly shook her head and she let her body sink lower onto the couch. "Meh, I just had one with Suno a couple hours ago. Besides, I don't have time to spar with you right now."

Tobney looked to Comora. "What's her schedule for the upcoming few hours?"

Comora checked his scouter, ignoring Sianna's warning glance, and shrugged. "Nothing much. Next thing on the agenda is a group spar but that's not for four hours. Just keep it short."

"Why are you totally useless to me?" Sianna complained in return. Comora raised both his eyebrows at her and Sianna blew out a sigh. "Sir." She added, sending him a sweet but toxic smile.

Tobney's smile was more genuine as he reached out to grab her arm. "Let's go."

"Lord Tobney, please, I don't feel like training right now." Sianna leaned back and tried to weigh as much as she possibly could when she felt Tobney trying to pull her up.

"Aww, that was so subordinate. You used my title and everything. I'm so proud of you, Sianna." Tobney teased in response. She had the weight of not even a feather for him and so he could easily pull her up. Sianna ignored the amused chuckles from the soldiers around her.

"Tobney, sir, no." Sianna stated clearly. Tobney raised both his eyebrows at her, smiling as he tilted his head sideways. "I don't want to spar right now. Please respect my wishes and boundaries."

"Been working on the sexual harassment course, haven't you?"

Sianna let out a frustrated groan when Tobney took a few steps and pulled her along. "Why are you so absolutely thick nothing can ever get through to you?" She complained, her hold on her temper easily slipping, as it often did when handling Tobney.

Tobney looked back to her and wagged his finger at her. "That's reducing your personal brownie points." He stated mock-strictly. The man looked over at Gohan while Sianna tried to pull her wrist free from his iron grip. "Gohan, will you join us?"

Gohan was watching the scene with some amusement until now and shrugged. "I just had training with Comora."

"Ah, come on. For old times' sake." Tobney responded. "I want to have some fun."

"Well, if you say it like that. Do you guys mind?" Gohan looked to the other two warriors. They shook their heads and shrugged. Gohan thanked them before he got off his seat.

Tobney now looked over at Sianna as she had gotten a hold of his wrist and tried to pull his arm away from her. "Alright, I will throw you over my shoulder." He threatened.

Sianna held his gaze for a moment but then released her arm and allowed him to hold her wrist. She knew he would pull through when tempted and she wanted to spare herself the humiliation. Gohan couldn't help but smile as he looked over to Videl and Comora. "Videl, will you join us?"

The human warrior hesitated as she looked to Comora. "Could I?"

Comora shrugged. "Sure. We'll revise tonight. Don't forget everything."

Videl smiled. "I won't." Her smile broadened as she walked closer to the group. "I'm in!"

"So, there you have your feminine spice for the spar." Sianna pointed to Videl. "You don't need me anymore."

Tobney pulled her closer by her arm. "I'll always need you." He responded. The man released her in favour of placing his hand on her back and he gave her a little push. "Ladies first." She stumbled forwards and sent a glare at him over her shoulder but kept walking. Gohan motioned for Videl to go ahead and she smiled at him as she followed to catch up to Sianna.

Gohan took position next to Tobney, smiling. "You enjoy that a little too much." He whispered.

Tobney glanced to Gohan, smiling too. "Sue me."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Okay, question from MeLovesLikey, what did you miss the most during your travels?" Solarus looked to Gohan, smiling. Solarus's new phone was levitating in front of them in order to record them.

The half-saiyan made a thoughtful face. "Of course, I mostly missed my friends here in the army." he responded. This question was actually quite easy as it was true. He'd missed his friends a lot while he was on planet earth. His eyes searched for Sianna for the briefest moment. She was standing out of the shot as she observed the livestream and she smiled in return to his gaze. The rest of the Suta Team was there too. They were taking turns scanning the comments for malicious content. Tobney headed into the room quietly. "Aside from that, I struggled with having to leave the army itself behind for a few years. I left it in the capable hands of my best friend but it still felt like I left part of myself behind. The army has grown to be a vital part of me. I'm glad to be back."

Tobney smiled as he heard this last sentence. He crossed his arms over each as he slowly shook his head. "He's a natural, isn't he?" He whispered to Sianna.

She glanced to him for a moment. "He's always been a natural, sir."

"I want to talk to you. Come with me." Tobney ordered. Sianna gave him a surprised glance but followed him to the entrance of the room. Once they were in the hallway, Tobney quickened his pace and Sianna followed him to his office. Once they were there, Tobney turned to look at her. "Coffee?"

"Sure." Sianna responded. She watched him walk to the coffee machine in the corner of the room. "Am I in trouble, sir?"

Tobney couldn't help but smile as he activated the black machine. Lights in different colours appeared and disappeared all over the black display of the machine. "I'd say you are." He responded as he looked over his shoulder. "It would be quite a shock if you weren't, huh?"

"I just want to know what to prepare for." Sianna wasn't sure what she could have done now. She'd been secretly passing messages to her former subordinates. She was still controlling her self-defence company - in secret. Could she be in trouble for that? The young woman looked around the sober room. Tobney didn't make that many changes to the office. The room was still in a black and white style. Tobney tended to say he liked his rooms simple, as life was complicated enough as it was.

"Sit down." Tobney said as he turned back to her and approached her. Sianna did as she was told. She waited for Tobney to place the cup on the desk before he walked around it to sit down at his side of it. The young warrior smiled at her - temporarily enjoying her hesitance. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" Sianna widened her eyes for a moment before she shook her head. "Is there nothing you've been keeping a secret from me?"

Sianna tried to read the answer from his face. "Several things. So, you're going to have to give me a hint cause I'm not about to give everything away."

Tobney eyed her for a moment. His gaze sought out her yellow eyes and once he made contact, he pounced. However, her eyes seemed to shoot fire as a painful attack threw him out of her mind. Sianna smiled. "You're not getting into a woman's mind that easily, sir."

The lord of the universe briefly shook his head to shake the pain off before he looked back to Sianna. "Fine. I'll talk. I'm not going to tell you who told me, but somebody told me that you are thinking about resigning."

"Gohan?" Sianna guessed.

Tobney shook his head. "I'm not going to..."

"Solarus?"

"I won't say..."

"Videl?"

Tobney frowned at her. "You went to all those people before you even considered coming to me? I thought we were friends." He sounded and felt somewhat hurt. "Why didn't you come to me, Sianna?"

Sianna leaned back in her seat. "I don't know. Maybe because you took everything away from me just a couple days ago. You hit me, remember?"

"Like I've never hit you before!"

"Not outside the training room!"

"Sianna." Tobney exclaimed. "That was more of a show for the guys than that I was punishing you. I wanted to show them that I'm just as strict on you as I am on them. I needed to show them that I can control you."

Sianna sat up. "How am I supposed to know that?"

"I'm always a little stricter when they are around! You should know that!"

"You know, maybe you should set up a macho alert so I can make myself scarce." Sianna suggested, frowning at him. "Get away before you guys start comparing scouter sizes."

Tobney rolled his eyes as he leaned back on his seat and crossed his arms over each other. The man remembered that Gohan approached him after the feast and instructed him to tell Sianna he didn't mean half of what he'd said before the feast. That it was all for show. Tobney disagreed, saying Sianna would understand. Gohan responded that she wouldn't, but that it wasn't his fight, and Tobney would find out himself. Tobney was now slightly annoyed that Gohan turned out to be right. The man leaned forwards and placed his elbows on the desk. "Did you send out applications yet?"

Sianna took a breath. "I did actually. And, apparently, I'm quite a wanted soldier."

"But you have an elite status here."

"That's what makes me so desirable. Four different armies want to have me. They've offered me a position and more money than I'm earning here."

Tobney pressed his lips together for a moment. "Okay." He took a breath. "What can I offer you to get you to stay?"

"Stay out of my life." Sianna responded immediately. Tobney moved to respond but Sianna shook her head. "You know you are. The whole situation with Brius was the last drop. I need to go somewhere and work somewhere, where they don't see me as their little sister that needs to be kept under control."

"I don't see you like that."

"You literally called me a younger sister during the press conference!" Sianna extended her arm sideways as if the press conference was in the right corner of the room.

Tobney blew out a sigh. "You should really stop using my words against me. I don't actually think that much about everything I say." Sianna gave him a pointed look in response. "Fine. I'll stay out of your life." He responded.

"I want my team and my status back."

"Of course."

"I want an increased salary. Mine is lower than the men of my status. Weird how when you're working on the rights of other women, you miss out on your own."

"Okay."

"I want control over my own ship." The army consisted of a fleet of spaceships. They usually travelled in a star shape. The mothership - and largest ship - was floating in the middle and was connected to five other ships. "With enough training rooms and dorms so I can make my self-defence school into a training camp for women."

"Your own ship? That means you want to move out of the room on the elite floor?"

"The one where you guys can all easily walk in and out of whenever you want. Yes."

"What if we promise not to do that anymore?"

"You'll break it in a second."

"Sianna..."

"I need privacy. And this is the best way to achieve that. I won't mind having the ship connected to the mothership so the cadets can easily cross over."

"Do you just... never want to see us again?"

"To do what? Allow you to show the guys how much control you have over me? Smack me around a little to show off your masculinity?" Sianna shrugged. "We can schedule it into my busy agenda."

Tobney realized his recent behaviour crossed a line he couldn't easily erase. "Sianna, I'm sorry for how I treated you that day. If I could take it back, I would."

She shook her head. "No, you wouldn't. As you said, you had to do it to show the guys that you're not playing favourites. The problem is that you have been playing favourites. But the other way around. When you just took over the army, I laid low for a while. I minded my own business. I trained with the guys, focused on my own progress and the progress of my company. While you promoted the guys of the Suta Team and the other elite soldiers, and upped their salary and gave them special rights, in order to buy their loyalty, I encouraged you and supported you without needing anything in return. I was the only elite soldier who didn't get an increased salary. But I didn't care as I was way too happy to actually get a salary at all. And when I started asking for things that I had a real right to have, you accused me of having authority issues and said I felt special. No, Tobney, I didn't feel special. You just never gave me anything because you didn't need to give me anything as I was loyal to you from the start. But that's over now. I'm going to demand things now, and if you don't give them to me, I'll leave."

The lord of the universe had to take a moment to take all of this in. The man lowered his gaze for a moment as he briefly went over the last couple years in his mind and he realized that she could actually be right. He'd completely overlooked one of his best soldiers. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

Sianna gave him a sad smile. "You're the leader of the greatest company in the entire universe. You can do anything."

"Except holding on to friends." He responded, feeling horrible.

The young woman shrugged as she got up. "Our ambitions got in the way, didn't they? I'll give you two weeks to get everything settled or I'll accept one of the job offers." She gave him a bow. "Am I excused, sir?"

"Yes. I'll contact you soon." Tobney responded. Sianna nodded in response before she turned to walk away and leave the room. Tobney waited for her to be gone before he placed his elbows on the desk and hid his face behind his hands. How did he let this happen?

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Seriously, Comora? You're doing this again?" Tobney asked as he looked up at his second-in-command. Comora was standing in front of one of the two desks. Gohan got his own desk right after he assumed command again. The young warrior decided to sit down right next his next friend so his desk was now pressed up against Tobney's. Gohan now glanced sideways - curious. He leaned over to grab the plan Comora prepared on his laptop.

The half-saiyan studied the plan and realized it was a mission-plan. "You want to go on a mission?" Gohan asked, looking up.

Comora nodded. "A brief one. We'll be back within a month."

Tobney took a deep breath as he shook his head. Gohan let his eyes run over the plan. "It looks okay. Should be finished within the month." He looked to Tobney. "Want to let them go?"

"What?" Tobney returned his look. "You want to let them go?"

"I don't see the problem."

"We need them here."

"For what?"

Tobney motioned to his own laptop. "Work. Besides, they're our bodyguard."

Gohan made a face at his best friend. "They can do their work while they're travelling to planet..." The half-saiyan checked the plan. "...Kiklo. And we are stronger than the entire team combined. We don't need a bodyguard."

"I know we don't need a bodyguard but the rest of the universe doesn't know that. We need them here to show that we're the type of people who need bodyguards. It adds status and shows that we're not easy to attack." Tobney explained.

"So they're just there for the picture?" Gohan responded. "That sounds a little..."

"Useless." Comora finished for him. "Cause that's what we are these days."

"That's not what I wanted to say." Gohan said. He wanted to continue but Tobney cut him off.

"We don't need this right now. There's already so much work to do that I cannot deal with a couple of bratty soldiers." Tobney looked up to his subordinate. "If you're restless, go train it out of your system. And stop bugging us with your requests for missions. We'll send you on one when the mess dies down."

Comora frowned at his leader. "You've been saying that for years."

Tobney put up his hands. "If you don't like the job, you can quit any time, Comora. I'm not keeping you here like you were keeping me here back in the days." He frowned at the rest of the group. They were watching the conversation hopefully. "The same goes for all of you. If you don't like it, leave." He looked to Comora. "Are we done here, Comora?"

"Yes sir." Comora wasn't happy but he nodded and stepped back. Gohan gave Comora a shrug before he looked back to his own laptop. The half-saiyan could care less if they left or stayed. Comora walked to the group. "Team, follow me. Let's do that training." The rest of the squad got up and followed their leader to the entrance. Once they were in the corridor and walking to the training-room, Comora glanced to his team. "Alright, the plan is on. Tomorrow will be the day we take back what's ours."

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	20. Chapter 20: Treason

**Chapter 20. Treason.**

Videl's mouth fell open as she watched the murderer cut open the stomach of a green-skinned woman. The screaming intensified as organs slowly drizzled down and the murderer cackled loudly as lightning lit up the sky.

"This is disgusting." Videl complained.

"You wanted to see the scariest film in the universe." Gohan reached over with his free hand and grabbed a handful of sweet sugary popcorn. "This is it." His other arm was happily resting on his girlfriend's shoulders.

"This is not a scary film. This is a disgusting film. I don't get it." She looked to her boyfriend. "Does this not impress you at all?"

The youngster was just manhandling the popcorn into his mouth as she asked this and his eyes moved to her. The half-saiyan chewed on his mouthful while he shrugged. "I've seen worse in reality. Nothing really impresses me anymore."

"That's really sad." Videl made a face at her boyfriend. She leaned closer to him as she studied his brown eyes. "I wish you wouldn't have had to go through such misery."

Gohan shrugged again. "It's in the past. No use thinking about it now."

Videl showed a small smile. "And now you're speaking so plainly about it. You're really something else, Gohan." She leaned closer. "At least let me make the present better." She whispered before she leaned in to kiss his lips. Gohan didn't mind the chance of atmosphere. This type of activity was so much better than cuddling or talking about his past. The youngster eagerly kissed back but he found himself almost kissing the air as she'd already pulled back after the first kiss.

Gohan leaned towards her briefly, following her retreating flesh. For a moment, his eyes rested on her beautiful thin lips. Was that it? The half-saiyan now looked to Videl's eyes. She was studying him with interest as her lips widened into a smile. "Eager, are we?" She whispered.

Of course, he was. "Are you really teasing me now?" Gohan complained. "Get back here." He gently applied pressure to her shoulders to push her closer to him and he was about to kiss her again. However, Videl made a tutting sound with those wanted lips and she leaned back - away from him.

"Ah ah." She teased as she tapped on his nose with her finger. "Patience." Videl got up and off the couch. Was she really leaving him like this? Gohan almost breathed out a sigh of relief when Videl turned towards him fully and crawled onto his lap, straddling his legs with her legs. She placed her arms around his neck. "Now, where were we?" She leaned in and kissed him again.

This was only getting better and better.

They ignored the screaming on the screen as they allowed their passion to take over their minds - kissing the past away. It was weird how his hands always seemed to get a mind of their own during these situations. Half the time he didn't even notice where they were going. The movement of her mouth against his took all his attention. He realized her hand was gently roughing up his hair, pushing him closer to her. Her other hand was on his torso, gently moving along the rhythm of their kisses. She pulled back to breathe and she tugged on his shirt suggestively. Gohan was all too happy to remove it. He allowed it to drop down on the couch before he helped her remove her shirt. It was actually the first time he saw her without a shirt or uniform. His eyes briefly roamed the new vision before he looked up at her and realized she seemed almost shy.

There was no reason for that. Gohan gave her a smile and reached out his arms to invite her to come closer. Videl smiled in return and accepted the invitation - kissing him once more. Their encounter became a little more rushed now as they felt more and more eager to get closer to each other. Gohan's fingers tested the new grounds, tentatively feeling her soft skin. Videl pulled away from his mouth to move her kisses to his neck. She teased his skin for a bit, enjoying how he let his head fall back as he shivered in ecstasy. Videl moved her kisses to his chest, teasing him with the briefest, tiniest kisses. She stopped when she realized Gohan's fingers were now located on the clasp of her bra. Videl looked up to meet his brown eyes. She realized he was waiting for her to give him permission and she couldn't help but smile fondly. He was such a gentleman.

Videl sat up and reached back herself to unclasp the bra. Gohan's eyes were torn between looking at her eyes and lowering them to her chest. The two warriors froze when the doors to the room opened. They both looked sideways only to watch Sianna walk inside. "Get a room." She called over.

"This is my room." Gohan responded. Videl hadn't unclasped her bra yet and she now lowered her arms. She sat up, still sitting on Gohan's lap. "And you're not invited. Please leave."

Sianna opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. She opened the can while she turned towards them. "Let him wait, Videl. Make him work for it." She advised. "He will." Sianna tilted her head sideways and gave Gohan a teasing smile. "He's a guy."

Videl chuckled while Gohan sent Sianna a glare. The half-saiyan shook his head when he realized Videl was reaching over to grab her shirt. The half-saiyan let his hands fall down on the couch as he leaned back too. This party was apparently over. The half-saiyan sent Sianna another dark glare but she only returned a grin. Videl was amused at the sentiment between the two and she leaned in to kiss him again.

"We'll continue this some other time." She whispered.

"Oh, we will." Gohan went over the mental images of Videl's shirtless torso. They would definitely continue this later.

"Why are you watching this shit?" Sianna was standing near them now. She sipped from her beer as she studied the screen.

"We wanted to watch the scariest movie in the universe." Videl climbed off her boyfriend. Gohan watched her go, feeling robbed of something. She walked to the kitchen to grab something to drink too. "Want a beer too, Gohan?" She asked.

"Sure." Gohan responded. Sianna's attention was drawn to the white shirt on the couch. She grabbed it before Gohan's hand could reach it and she held it up. A teasing smile appeared on her face as her eyes roamed his naked torso. Gohan couldn't hide the annoyance on his face as he got up and stepped closer to her. Ignoring her prying eyes, he snatched the shirt from her hands and put it on. Once he was done, he met her eyes again. Sianna tilted her head sideways while she let her tongue run along her lips - as if she'd just tasted something delicious - or seen it. Gohan scoffed as he shook his head - annoyed - before he fell back down on the couch. Sianna snickered as she followed his example. He was so easy to tease.

Unaware of their antics, Videl returned with the two beers and she sat down next to Gohan. Handing her boyfriend a beer, her attention was drawn to the other female in the room. "Why did you come to visit us?"

Sianna shrugged. "I was bored. And I'm avoiding Comora."

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"Tobney told him about my threat to leave the army. Comora already sent me an email saying he wants to talk to me about that but I'm really not interested in him trying to convince me to take back my resignation." Sianna explained.

"You do know this is one of the first places he's going to look." Gohan responded. "Besides, he can feel your power-level."

Sianna shrugged. "At least he won't have me alone."

"I don't see the significance of us being here. You're already enough to handle on your own." Gohan returned.

"You can protect me." Sianna responded. "Turn your hero-mode on and everything."

Videl showed an amused expression in response to Gohan's quiet curse-words. Only Sianna could make him so annoyed. The half-saiyan leaned back on the couch and sipped from his beer. Videl allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "You should tell Comora what you told Tobney." Videl advised. "Just be honest."

"That doesn't work with these people." Sianna shook her head.

The door opened and Tobney walked in the room. "There you all are!" Tobney exclaimed. "You're having a party without me."

Gohan blew out a sigh. "We should put a lock on the door." He muttered to Videl. She laughed quietly in response.

"Gohan and Videl were having quite the party when I arrived but I put a stop to it." Sianna explained. "Honestly, Tobney, where were you? You let him out of your sight and now he's here shedding his clothes."

Tobney smiled as he approached the couch. "I thought it was your turn to take him today, sweetheart." He said in response. Videl glanced to Gohan to see his reaction to the little performance between Tobney and Sianna. The half-saiyan rolled his eyes at her to show his annoyance.

Sianna wiggled her finger at Tobney. "No, it's not and you know it. Luckily, I got here on time to stop him from making too much trouble."

Tobney walked around the couch and sat down on Gohan's other side. He tousled Gohan's hair. "Been a naughty boy, have we?"

"Right, Gohan. What do you have to say for yourself?" Sianna asked, giving the half-saiyan a strict look.

"Are you two done?" Gohan responded. "Cause Videl and I were watching a movie and we'd like to continue."

"The movie must not have been that interesting as you two were more occupied with each other than with the screen." Sianna returned easily.

"What state where they in when you walked in on them?" Tobney leaned forwards to look at Sianna.

"They didn't get that far. Shirts were off. That was it." Sianna responded.

While Tobney nudged Gohan and gave him an impressed nod, Videl focused on Sianna. "I'd rather you don't tell everyone about what you saw. I'm not really used to everyone knowing everything about me. It makes me feel really bad if you talk about it like that."

Sianna nodded. "Okay, sure. I won't tell anyone."

This caught Gohan's attention and he looked back to Sianna. "Oh really? So asking you something nicely does work on you, huh?"

Sianna grinned. "Yes, it does. You should try it sometimes."

Tobney grabbed the remote and stopped the film. "Why are you even watching this?" He asked as he looked through the different films they could watch instead.

"I know right. This is definitely not a make-out movie." Sianna added. She got comfortable on the couch while Tobney searched for a different film.

Videl glanced sideways when Gohan gently squeezed her shoulders. "We're definitely getting a lock on the door." He whispered to her. Videl grinned in return before she pressed a brief kiss on his lips. After that, Gohan snatched the remote back from Tobney and started flipping through the films to choose a new one they could all watch together. Even without the remote in their possession, Tobney and Sianna had enough to say and argue about every film Gohan suggested. Videl watched with increasing interest as the three bickered and argued until, finally, they decided on a film they didn't all hate. She couldn't help but smile as she studied the friendship she'd heard about so often. And she was happy to see how strong it was. Even after everything that had been going on lately.

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The room was quiet. There were no sounds aside from the stream that gently made its way across the wilderness. Trees in all shapes and sizes, bushes in colours that seemed almost impossible for someone used to generally green nature, and even small wildlife was scurrying around. Gohan never really visited the oxygen room when he was younger as it reminded him of planet Earth and that was too painful for him. These days, this was exactly the reason why he preferred to spend his free time here. It reminded him of his planet and therefore made him feel comforted. They weren't allowed to really enter or make any contact with the nature or animals in the room itself as it could affect the oxygen drawn from the room and delivered to the rest of the ship. However, a high balcony that made its way along the walls of the room allowed the soldiers to spend time in the comforting atmosphere of the room without making contact with its contents.

Gohan was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the balcony, his eyes closed and his mind unfocused. Meditation brought him solace these days. With all the things he had to consider as the leader of the universe, it was nice to let his mind wander sometimes. The youngster didn't open his eyes when he heard footsteps coming closer.

"If you would have told me years ago that I would find you meditating on your own initiative, I would have laughed in your face." Comora's voice sounded gentle and amused. He wasn't here to argue or tell Gohan off.

"Kids grow up." Gohan answered without opening his eyes.

"Oh, so that's what's happening here?" Comora answered meekly. The man sat down next to the half-saiyan and Gohan opened his eyes when he noticed the scent of coffee. That definitely took his mind off meditating.

"Is that for me?" Gohan asked as he eyed the two cups in Comora's hands.

"I'm not going to drink two coffees, thank you." Comora handed one to Gohan.

The half-saiyan smiled and thanked him before he took a greedy sip from it. He didn't notice how Comora watched him drink from the coffee with a little too much interest. The man lowered his gaze when Gohan looked back to him. The half-saiyan realized he drank all the coffee in one go. "Thanks. I was really craving coffee, I guess. It was good. Did you add something to it?"

Comora looked almost shocked because of Gohan's question. "What?"

"Did you add something to make it taste so good?" Gohan clarified.

"Oh," Comora shook his head, "maybe sugar? I like drinking it with two scoops. I might have accidentally added two to yours as well."

"Ah, makes sense. I might add one more from now on too." Gohan smiled as he placed his empty cup on the ground. "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Not really. I was surprised to find you here though. You usually don't go here."

"I know. I feel more at ease here these days." Gohan responded. He shrugged, smiling. "Makes me think of home, I guess."

"Home... Right." Comora nodded.

Gohan tilted his head as he studied his former superordinate. "Are you okay?" He couldn't help but yawn suddenly. The half-saiyan frowned as he felt his eyes go blurry for a moment. He blinked but they felt heavy. He felt very tired. Why was he suddenly so tired? Meditation sometimes made him feel a bit fuzzy. He guessed that was what was going on.

"Me?" Comora asked.

"Yeah, you look..." Gohan was surprised by a yawn again. "...I'm sorry. You look nervous. Is there something you're worrying about?" The youngster could feel his mind go fuzzy again. He frowned as he shook his head. Why was he feeling so tired?

"I'm a little worried about my team." Comora answered as if nothing was happening. "They are feeling really restless and they would really like to go on a mission. Are you sure you can't talk to Tobney about this?" He looked to the half-saiyan and frowned. "Sir?"

Gohan's condition was worsening by the second. The half-saiyan could feel his world starting to spin as he tried desperately to keep his eyes open. His vision was now constantly blurry and improved for only a second after every blink before going back to the blurriness. He lowered his gaze and his eyes landed on the vague shape of the empty coffee cup. His body went cold as he looked at the cup and an idea formed in his head. He looked up to Comora, trying hard to focus, breathing hard now, finding it difficult to stay awake. "Did you...?" He realized that Comora's shape was very calm, almost as if he expected this to happen. "...my ... drink..."

Oh no.

The half-saiyan couldn't fight the effects of the poison anymore and his blurry vision slowly faded into darkness.

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"What is going on?" Videl asked, looking up at Sianna. The young warrior was looking around with wide eyes. She looked back to Videl. To be honest, Sianna wasn't sure what was going on either. She just got a mental message from Tobney, saying RUN, and that was it. She wasn't doing anything in particular at that time. She was training with Videl. It was just a routine training. After the mental message, Sianna stopped the training and sensed for her friends. She realized both Tobney's and Gohan's energy felt very faint and she knew something was terribly wrong. And her comrades were swarming around the faint signatures of her two best friends, which made Sianna realize who were to blame for this.

"You need to leave now." Sianna stated, pressing a small bag in Videl hands. "You'll need this. There's a map in this. It will tell you where to go and it will tell you who to meet. Give this to that person." Sianna gave Videl a simple necklace with a silver pendant. "She'll know who it's from." Noises were heard outside the closet they were hiding in. Soldiers were restless as they realized something was happening. They just weren't sure what was going on.

"She?" Videl frowned. "What about you? Why don't you come with me?"

Sianna shook her head. "They'll be looking for me. I'm one of the reasons the previous army fell. They'll be blaming me for putting Gohan and Tobney up to it. You know how men are." She pushed the bundle of items closer to Videl. "I'll draw their attention away. They'll forget about you for now but they'll remember you soon enough. I hope you'll be far away enough at that time."

"I'm not sure if I understand. What's happening?" Videl had never experience something like this. Within one second, her whole world had been turned upside down.

"Gohan and Tobney have been taken prisoner." Sianna explained. "Comora must have been planning this for months." She slowly shook her head. "Suno offered me a drink this morning but I refused because I wanted to get to our training. He insisted so much that I got annoyed and left without saying anything. I should have realized something was off. I've been such a fool." She looked up to Videl now. "They'll be watching Tobney and Gohan like hawks. Those two won't be able to move a toe without it being noticed. I'm sure they'll keep us apart so we won't be able to even look at each other. Our friendship is what makes us stronger than them." Her yellow eyes hardened. "I'll go out there. And when they see me, run."

"What if they hurt you?" Videl asked.

Sianna scoffed in response, a smile on her face. "Oh, they will. Trust me. I'll survive though. It will make me stronger. It always does." Her body turned cold momentarily as she thought of the misery she was definitely about to endure. She allowed it to grow and subside. That's how things went. It always passed. Even her fear, her anxiety, her panic attacks, they passed. So she let them. Her eyes moved to Videl. "It's all up to you now. Gohan's faith rests in your hands. You have to save us all."

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Gohan could feel the pain in his head before he even realized where he was or opened his eyes. The young warrior slowly opened his eyes so he could take in his surroundings. He could feel his breathing starting to speed up as he noticed the place he was in. A cage. It was in a cage. What the hell happened? His eyes ran over the glass walls around him. He was in an entirely white room with glass cells. He was in the detention center. Gohan tried to move his hands but he couldn't. He looked back to find they were tied together by glowing ki-bonds. Well, no, the ki-bonds were around his wrists to drain his energy. The white thin ropes kept his wrists locked together behind him. Not for the first time, he was surprised by this material. It was thin and appeared easily breakable but it wasn't.

"I'm so sorry."

Gohan looked up and he realized Tobney was sitting near him. The lord of the universe gave his best friend a pained look. "I'm so sorry, Gohan. If only I hadn't brought you back... You wouldn't be here."

"What happened, Tobney?"

Tobney shrugged. "I don't know... I woke up here. I vaguely remember being at my desk... Working... And Suno came in and offered me something to drink... And then it's blank."

"Same here." Gohan lowered his gaze. "Comora offered me something to drink. He looked like he needed to talk about something... I thought the coffee tasted different but I didn't think they would try to drug us. I didn't expect..."

"You didn't expect them to be our enemy? Same here." Tobney responded. The young warrior tried to pull his arms free from the restrictions and his ki-bonds lit up as he tried to power up. Nothing happened though. "I'm so sorry, Gohan."

"It's not your fault." It wasn't. Tobney didn't know this was going to happen. He had a lot of different mental and psychic abilities but even he could not predict the future.

"What is going on? Why are they doing this to us?"

"And more importantly, what are they doing now?" Gohan added, frowning. His mind automatically went to Videl and he tentatively sensed for her energy. She seemed fine, though a bit distressed. He tried to sense for Sianna and he realized her energy was spiking. She was fighting. "Oh no. Sianna!" He yelled her name, knowing she couldn't hear him. Knowing she was out there, surrounded by several high power-levels he identified as their former comrades. And she was there, facing them, all alone.

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"Ah, that's a sight for sore eyes." Itoro, Suno, Kaon and Comora spread out in a line to confront Sianna. Itoro smiled as he continued: "Sianna, sweetheart, why don't you come with us?"

"Right, you think I don't know what's been going on?" Sianna snarled in return.

"You're always up-to-date with the news." Comora responded. "I'll believe that. So, what do you want to do now? Fight us all?"

"Do you really expect me to come with you quietly?" Sianna responded, frowning. "You weren't born yesterday, Comora."

"You weren't either, Sianna. You cannot defeat all of us."

"Hmmm..." Sianna showed a small smile as she studied the group. "I might surprise you."

Comora shrugged as he spread his arms. "Suit yourself." The team spread around the young woman, surrounding her. Sianna kept her eyes on the men around her. She could feel her heart beating in her chest as she realized she was going to have to fight them all. And she would be doing it alone. A smirk appeared on Comora's face. "Is that fear I see in your eyes, Sianna?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Suno added from the right side. "Facing the strongest warriors in the universe all on your own... Who wouldn't feel outclassed?"

"It's only natural," Itoro seemed amused at this little round of harassment, "for prey to feel intimidated by hunters."

"Large eyes, heartbeat speeding up, shallow breaths." Kaon cracked his knuckles. "Women are beautiful when they're scared, aren't they?"

Sianna allowed her body to sink into a fighting stance. "All talk but no action." She responded, cutting their taunts off. She'd heard it all before.

A smirk here and there was the response to her comment. However, no verbal response was formulated. The men around her fell into fighting stances as well. They were done talking. Sianna focused her energy. She knew this was only a matter of keeping them busy so that Videl could escape unnoticed. She was nothing more than a distraction. And she was ready to be just that.

Suno was the first one to attack. The man appeared right next to her and tried to punch her. Sianna knew this was a weak attack and it was only intended distract her and get her moving. The young warrior caught his punch and pushed it away so she could turn and block a punch from Kaon. She hastily moved back to dodge a kick from Comora. She had to react fast to every punch and kick they threw in her direction. Sianna only had the briefest instants to block the attacks and often she felt a gentle brush of energy pulsating from their limbs. They were way too close to her and locking her in. She had to get out of here.

The young warrior jumped up to get out of their grip. A hand curled around her ankle and pulled her back down. "Where are you going, sweetheart?" Itoro asked before he threw her up against the wall. Her body collided with the wall and she could feel her head being knocked backwards by the impact. A second later she felt her body land harshly on the ground.

Reacting fast, Sianna used her energy to move her body up when a boot tried to kick her. Suno followed her with his eyes but he wasn't fast enough to catch the energy-orb she sent in his direction. The man was thrown backward into the wall opposite them. Sianna couldn't enjoy her victory long as she had to focus on her other opponents. Itoro came at her hard ̶ pushing punches towards her face. She blocked the first few but had to catch the last one with her cheek. Stumbling sideways, she regained her footing just in time to receive a kick from Comora. The man kicked her feet from under her and watched her land on the ground.

"Ah, that's how I like my women." Itoro gave her another kick against her head when she tried to get up. Sianna fell back, shaking the stars out of her eyes. "You should be seen and not heard."

Comora smirked as he leaned down to grab Sianna by her hair. "Let's get some ki-bonds onto this one." He grabbed a fistful of her hair, his nail scraping across her scalp painfully, and pulled her up. Before he could pull her up fully, Sianna kicked upwards, hitting Comora's nose and breaking it on impact. Comora had to let her go – forcing her to fall back down – and she pushed her leg out to kick Itoro. The man was standing close enough and was caught off guard. He was forced to stumble backwards. This gave Sianna enough time to get up and get back into a fighting stance.

She watched as the men gathered themselves and got up. Once they were all up and looking back to her, she smiled and beckoned them. Comora scoffed and he cracked his knuckles. "All right, I forgot. This kitten's got claws." He noticed how Sianna rolled her eyes in response. "We'll make sure to cut them off."

Sianna had no time to respond as all four men attacked her at once. She stumbled back to avoid Comora and Suno but she had to move up her arms to block attacks from Kaon and Itoro. The latter two noticed her retreat and crossed the distance in an instant. The fight was really on now. The punches were coming from all directions and Sianna moved her arms hastily to block them. There was no time to focus on returning an attack. She was way too busy not getting hurt. The young woman knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. She had to do something. Catching a punch from Itoro, she pulled the man closer and pushed her knee in his stomach. Releasing him, she moved up her arm just in time to catch a punch from Suno. The man narrowed his eyes and his hand curled around her wrist. Sianna's eyes were wide as she realized she was in trouble. Suno pulled her closer and she stumbled towards him. Comora used her moment of weakness to catch her body with his knee. She doubled over his knee but she got no time to recover as Suno released her, put his hands together and smashed them down on her back.

Sianna's body smashed down into the ground with such impact that she felt vaguely distant for a second. It was almost as if she saw herself fall rather than that she was the one falling. A boot smashed down on her back and she let out a cry of pain. Several boots came to help the first one, smashing and kicking, hits raining down on her body. Part of her wanted to curl up to protect her head but her arms felt useless. Kicks aimed straight for her head made her feel faint. The pain was coming from every direction and filled her with a numbing sensation. The young warrior couldn't think. She couldn't breathe.

Don't give up.

Never give up.

Clenching her fists, Sianna let her power burst out. Letting out a scream that consisted of all the pain and misery she'd endured, Sianna could feel her body levitating in the air. The power was hard to control and she could feel her skin pulling, feeling so tight... As if something wanted out and, for a moment, she let it.

Then it was gone.

Winded, Sianna landed on her hands and knees. She was breathing hard as she looked around. Her opponents were scattered across the hallway. They all seemed distraught as they were lying on their backs or were pressed up against the wall. The wall... The walls were dented, as if some large force bumped into them. She'd never seen that happen before.

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Gohan's mouth was open. He looked to Tobney - who seemed just as surprised. "What was that?"

"Sianna?" Tobney responded. "I think it was."

"She was strong... So strong... She was stronger than..." Gohan closed his mouth. She easily outmatched the men of the Suta Team. Gohan briefly wondered how close Sianna came to overpowering him. "Did you know?"

Tobney shook his head. "It lasted for a second. I don't think she knows it herself. She can't handle it."

Gohan focused on her power level again. "The others are definitely out. Why isn't she running for it?" He asked out loud. It was horrible that they couldn't help. They couldn't just watch. "Sianna, Run!"

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Sianna let out a breath as she studied the men. The young warrior quickly took a moment to survey her wounds. Her arms were bruised. That was only logical. Her eyes ran over the group. She stood straight and allowed her body to rest while she waited for them to recover.

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"Why isn't she running?" Tobney asked, annoyed.

Gohan frowned thoughtfully but then gasped and allowed his senses to reach out to Videl. Her power level was moving away from their position. Videl was leaving! "Sianna's a decoy." He stated. Tobney looked to him. "She sent Videl out for help. And she stayed behind to draw their attention away from Videl. Of course, it's you, me, and Sianna. We're the ones they want. We started the war. Videl is new to the ship. They'll easily overlook her absence."

Tobney placed a hand on his forehead. "Of course Sianna would give herself up. Allow her to play the hero-card."

Gohan smiled in return. "Well, she doing a far better job than we are, isn't she?" The man chuckled as he thought of something. "And just think how much she enjoys being the hero. She has to save the guys."

Tobney couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, man. If that actually happens, and we all survive it, we won't be hearing the last of it for years to come."

The smile was still on Gohan's face. It was amazing how they could still find humor in this horrible situation. They both knew Sianna would get caught if she was planning on playing the decoy for as long as possible. She would fight them and distract them until she couldn't put up a fight anymore. And even then she would probably instigate a beating to keep their attention. The half-saiyan sensed for Sianna to see what was happening now and the smile on his face disappeared entirely. Tobney noticed this and he frowned as he sensed for Sianna as well. The older man's face paled when he felt the same presence Gohan did.

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Sianna noticed the men were slowly but surely getting up. They gave her annoyed but also impressed glances. It wasn't every day that Sianna threw so much power around. Even if they were on the receiving end, they appreciate the power shown by the female. She clenched her fists; ready for round three. She would distract them as long as possible. She would keep fighting, even when she couldn't fight anymore.

The young warrior frowned when she felt a presence behind her. Eyes big, she could feel her heart beat in her chest as she turned to look at the familiar power level she felt. Turning completely around, her mouth fell open as a surprised expression was seen on her face. "You!"

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 **;)**


	21. Chapter 21: Nightmares Return

**Chapter 21. Nightmares Return.**

"You!" Sianna exclaimed as she stepped back.

"Look at you." Vegeta responded sweetly. "I always thought muscles wouldn't look good on a woman but you proved me wrong."

Sianna's eyes were wide as she stared at the man in front of her. How did this happen? Where did he come from? Had he been here since they left planet Earth? How…?

"Hmm, I could never get you to shut up but this does the trick, doesn't it?"

Sianna could feel annoyance rise in her stomach as she clenched her fists. "I should have known this was you." She responded. "Say Evil and evil appears."

"Thank you." Vegeta shrugged in response. "But this wasn't me. You can thank your superordinate for this elaborate plan." Sianna frowned as she glanced towards Comora. The latter was just getting up. "He came to me when the rest was trying to convince Gohan to come back. He told me that he and the rest of the Suta Team wanted me back in control. That's why they came back to planet Earth in the first place. It wasn't to convince Gohan to come back. It was to fetch me so that we could take back what was mine in the first place."

"Should we really bother telling her what happened just before she dies?" Comora asked. Sianna realized the rest was getting up and she turned sideways so she could keep an eye on both Vegeta and the rest of the team.

"You want to kill her?" Vegeta crossed his arms.

Comora shrugged. "Why not? We've got Tobney and Gohan in custody."

"Do you realize how much she would go for?" Vegeta returned. "Look at her." He motioned to the female warrior. "Pay to tame the untamable woman. Warlords will gobble it up." Sianna clenched her fists as she realized what Vegeta was planning on doing to her.

"She's definitely that. Untamable. We can't sell her. She'll kill the slave traders." Comora responded.

"Ki-bonds will handle that."

"Won't remove my ability to bite." Sianna added.

Vegeta glanced to her now and he smiled. "We could always pull out your teeth one by one. You won't need them where you're going."

"You'll have to defeat me first." Sianna responded.

"We'll get to that later." Vegeta waved her comment away. "Now be quiet while your masters are conversing." Sianna scoffed as a response to this comment while Vegeta looked to Comora. "So? What do you want to do?"

Comora shrugged. "It's your call, lord. Just remember that she instigated the whole rebellion in the first place. Letting her live might instigate another." He noticed the look he was getting from Sianna. "Oh yes, we know about that. Gohan told lord Vegeta the entire thing."

"He told you I started the rebellion?" Sianna asked Vegeta.

"No, he told me that he wasn't planning on participating until you showed him what's important." Vegeta responded. "He told me how thankful he was that he had you by his side. That he drew strength from your presence." The man rolled his eyes. "He's a softy." He looked back to Comora. "As long as we make sure she stays away from Gohan, nothing will happen."

Comora shrugged. "As I said, it's your call."

"Well then, that's settled." Vegeta looked back to Sianna now. The young woman had been looking in several directions to see if she could find a way to escape while the men were talking. "Let's take this to the training room, shall we?" He asked as he looked to the place where the wall was dented by Sianna's pure energy. "I would like to keep my ship in one piece."

"Hmm, I would, but my mom told me never to go with strangers."

"I think I've known you longer than your mother ever did." Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her. "You were, like what, ten when I first met you, cowering under a table. I'm practically your guardian."

"I never cowered when you were near." Sianna responded. "Cause under all the bravado I saw you for what you really were – a tiny, weak little man who can't see the difference between fear and loyalty."

Vegeta slowly shook his head as he waited for her to stop talking. "You have an answer for everything, don't you?" The man spread his arms. "I must insist we take this to the training room. Are you going to come along quietly?"

Sianna laughed in response. "You weren't born yesterday, Vegeta."

"Fine." Vegeta disappeared from his position and reappeared in front of the young warrior. Before Sianna could respond, Vegeta pulled back a fist and pushed it deep into her stomach. Using her moment of weakness to his advantage, he reached over to grab her arm. One handy maneuver spun the arm on her back and he reached out to grab her other arm so he could push both her arms together behind her back. "Off to the training room we go."

The men laughed in response and they all turned to lead the way to a nearby training room. Sianna tried to kick backwards but Vegeta moved his leg to avoid her kicks. "Ah, ah, don't be so impatient. We're almost there."

The training room was empty. Sianna almost felt relieved. It meant nobody else would be there to watch her demise. She mentally shook herself. Don't think like that. She had to have faith. She had to believe she could defeat Vegeta.

The Saiyan prince waited for the men to create a circle around them before he threw Sianna to the center of it. He hooked his tail around her lower leg before giving her a push. This way he made sure she would fall and so tear at her self-esteem. He was born for these types of situations.

Sianna landed on her hands and knees. She pressed her lips together, feeling awkward for falling like that. Vegeta smirked as he studied her. "We're not nearly at that stage, Sianna. You'll have to do a lot more than get on your knees to please us into letting you go."

Sianna ignored the heat on her cheeks as she got up. She could have expected these types of comments. The young soldier tried to recall what Gohan told her about Vegeta. Back when they were training for the rebellion, they did prepare for the possibility that Sianna would have to fight Vegeta. It was an unlikely but possible scenario.

"Vegeta likes being the stronger one." Gohan told her back then. "He thrives when he's in control. He won't go easy on you. The larger the gap between you two, the happier he is." Gohan took a breath as he recalled his first few fights with Vegeta. "He tends to try to hurt you both mentally and physically. He will call you names, taunt you, mock you, anything he can to make you feel inferior to him. It will be difficult, but try not to let it get to you. Because, the moment you do, he wins."

"So, he taunts and mocks?" Sianna clarified at the time. "Doesn't everyone here?"

"Yeah, but, I don't know, he just knows what to say to get under your skin. If he knows you well enough." Gohan responded. She could still remember how he exchanged glances with Tobney at the time. "Sexism tends to ruffle your feathers. He definitely knows that. Be prepared to get a lot of denigrating and sexist comments from him."

Back in the present, Sianna narrowed her eyes and got in a fighting stance. Vegeta smirked as he studied her. "I felt your little tantrum just now." He stated. "You're feeling like quite the little soldier now that you've thrown that energy around, huh?"

"I'm not like you, Vegeta. I don't show off for the sake of showing off." Sianna returned.

"It must suck though." Vegeta continued. "You've been training with the best of them for years but you're still nowhere near strong enough to measure up to them. It took Gohan about the same time to get twice as strong as you are now." Vegeta tilted his head sideways. "What does that say about you? Or what does that say about women in general. They just can't measure up, can they?"

The chuckles around her made her feel so angry she wanted to attack him head on. But she forced herself not to. She knew this was coming. She could have expected it. He was trying to defeat her just by using his words. But she wouldn't be defeated that easily. "Cut the crap, Vegeta. If you're really as strong as you'd like to think, show me." Sianna powered up, her hair levitating around her. "Or are you afraid of being beaten by a woman?"

Vegeta laughed in response. "All right, fine. Who am I to decline a challenge posed by the _weaker_ sex?"

Sianna clenched her fists and attacked him head on. Vegeta's eyes widened for only a moment before she was upon him. The young woman faked a punch and while he was trying to block this first punch, she redirected her attack to his stomach. Kneeing him, Sianna took advantage of his shock to punch him. The man fell back and she followed him. She followed him in an angry rush. She tried to hit and kick every bit of him she could. The man was hit a couple times before he managed to kick her away.

Sianna was thrown backwards but she managed to redirect her energy and land on her feet. Vegeta frowned as got up. "You bitch." He snarled. Sianna chuckled in response. She loved how men tended to refer to such insults when they started to get angry. They started with 'sweetheart this' and 'honey that' but once you made one wrong move in their eyes they would go back to 'bitch' and 'whore'. It was so predictable.

"I hope I'm not getting to you, Vegeta."

"Don't worry." Vegeta cracked his neck before he powered up and transformed to the first Super Saiyan level. "I'll punch the anger out of me." He launched at her right after saying this.

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"How did he get here?" Tobney asked out loud.

Gohan was too focused on the fight between Sianna and Vegeta. They were actually quite docile for a while but the fight was on now. He could feel their powers clashing against each other. Peaks of energy indicated attacks, small drops in power indicated taken damage. It went quite head-to-head for a while. Sianna was holding her own. She was a good fighter. However, as time went on, Gohan realized that Sianna was taking more damage.

And the rest of the team was still there. How long would it take for Vegeta to call the rest to action? Would they gang up on her? Would they beat her up? Were they going to kill her?

"Gohan, you're shaking." Tobney's voice brought the half-saiyan back to the present. The half-saiyan looked to his best friend. Tobney's expression softened as he noticed the pure fear on Gohan's face. He feared for his best friend. "She'll be okay. She can handle him."

"What if he kills her?"

"I don't think he will." Tobney shook his head. "I don't know what it is, but Vegeta has always kept her around. I think he's always admired her. Don't forget, she's been handling him longer than any of us have. She's been on the ship since she was like ten."

"But she's never fought him." Gohan shook his head. "Not like this."

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The two warriors were caught up in a high-speed fight. Vegeta was calm and focused. He knew they weren't evenly matched. It was only a matter of time and Sianna would get tired. She would start making mistakes. And Vegeta lived for those mistakes. He would take advantage of them and attack her ruthlessly. However, for now, Sianna was still blocking his punches.

The man had to admit he was impressed. He didn't expect her to be this good. He was still in his super Saiyan 1 level. Once he transformed to the second level, he would be twice as strong as she was. He didn't want to just yet though. He preferred staying on even ground for a while. The man realized that taunting Sianna wouldn't get him anywhere just yet. He blatantly lied when he said Sianna hadn't progressed as quickly as Gohan had. She'd actually progressed more in half the time Gohan needed. She basically went from nothing to their level in just a matter of years. He figured her biological ability to progress after receiving damage was part of her progress. Still, he was impressed. It made him more determined to not sell her but keep her around. If she survived this match, that was.

The man considered all this in a matter of seconds as Sianna fired off several blasts in his direction. Vegeta deflected all of them with ease. She needed to focus on her energy-use. Her accuracy was off. It was easy to see she hadn't practiced using her energy in battle. He almost wanted to chastise Comora for it. His subordinate was probably Sianna's main trainer. If there was something she hadn't practiced, it was Comora's fault.

Vegeta retreated when Sianna came at him. He was letting her come to him – forcing her to make more miles. He would tire her out. He would let her make a mistake. And there it was. Sianna miscalculated the power she needed to hand out a punch and she leaned forwards for only a second as she tried not to fall over. Their eyes met for a split second and he could see she knew she'd messed up. Vegeta moved up his knee to push it into her ribs. Enjoying her pained gasp for air, Vegeta used his fist to punch her away. Sianna landed on her back – gasping for air once again.

Vegeta intended to land on top of her stomach but Sianna rolled away before he could. The man extended a hand and tried to blast her – forcing Sianna to keep rolling away until she could push off against a wall and fly up. Vegeta's blasts followed her – forcing the Suta Team members of scatter once Sianna got close to them – until Sianna used her energy to deflect them and sent a couple back to the Saiyan prince. Vegeta jumped up to avoid them.

His eyes searched for his opponent but he couldn't find her. His senses warned him a nano-second before a boot landed against his spine. The man was thrown forwards and he was launched into the wall of the training room. Several blasts landed against his back, burning into his skin, all in the same place. Her accuracy was suddenly perfect. It made him realize she pretended to be bad earlier so he would underestimate her. She was using his prejudices against him. The blasts stopped before he could stop them.

Vegeta groaned as he pushed his body away from the wall. He looked back to realize that the Suta Team had come to his rescue. They were attacking Sianna from all directions and she was trying hard to hold them off. Vegeta pressed his lips together in annoyance. So they thought he needed their help just to fight off a little girl. However, this annoyance quickly faded. He knew he was stronger than she was. And his comrades were just showing their loyalty to him. It was good to know they would choose him over Sianna.

Comora approached him. "Are you okay, sir?"

Vegeta nodded slowly. "Yes, I am. Why did you attack her?"

"I figured we're short on time." Comora responded. "Do you want us to seize her, sir?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Guys," Comora called, gaining their attention. The group fell silent while they were still surrounding the female warrior. Sianna immediately took this moment to nurse her bleeding nose. "Seize her. Formation 1."

Sianna widened her eyes in response as she extended her arms. "That's not fair!" She called as she flew back to create distance between her and the rest. The men followed her eagerly. "I deserve better than that!" She knew the formations as she'd been a part of the team for years.

This formation was designed to capture and contain and nothing more. It was unfair and didn't give the opponent an opportunity to fight them off. Sianna widened her eyes when the men all attacked her at once. She tried sending a few blasts to keep them away but soon Suno was right upon her. His hands reached out to grab her but she avoided them. Itoro appeared on her other side, also trying to grab her. She kicked backwards to Kaon when she realized he was behind her. The man caught her ankle and held her. He whirled her around and around until he released her. The young woman slammed down to the ground. She used her energy to stop herself and she managed to stop her body from slamming into the ground. A high peak of energy told her someone was attacking her but before she could respond, a boot slammed into her back, throwing her into the ground.

Hands came at her right away, grabbing her arms and pulling her up. As his subordinates held the young woman tight, Vegeta walked closer to her and studied the scene. The man reached into his pocket and retrieved three thin bonds. He showed them to her and Sianna widened her eyes. She shook her head as she tried to walk back. Suno and Itoro found it difficult to hold her so Comora and Kaon came in and grabbed her arms too. The group pushed her arms towards Vegeta. Ignoring her struggles, the Saiyan prince clicked one bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet sucked itself to her skin, burying itself deep into her flesh. The man turned to her second wrist and he did the same thing there. Taking the last bond, he placed it around her neck before watching as the ki-bonds took effect. The thin bonds lit up as they started sucking the power from Sianna's body. She let out a scream as she felt her body weakening, almost as if her life-force was sucked out of her. The men watched with interest as she even seemed to become a little paler.

Vegeta watched as Sianna tried to power up, the ki-bonds lighting up, but failed. The man didn't say anything before he pushed his fist in her stomach. Her legs nearly crashed under her as the impact drove the air out of her lungs. Gasping for air, Sianna could feel Vegeta's hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into a straight position. A fist racing towards her was the next thing she saw.

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Gohan's hands were on his head – his eyes wide as he stared at the ground. Tobney growled as he clenched his fists and pounded the ground with them to unleash his anger. The two men could do nothing else to take care of their anger at this ordeal.

The peaks of energy, followed by a waver in Sianna's power level clearly showed what was happening right now. Gohan closed his eyes when he felt a particular jolt in Sianna's presence. He knew he could make it easier for himself. He could stop tracking her power level. He could shut it off. However, he felt bad for not being able to help her. He was punishing himself for being so easily defeated. Sianna was fighting for them all and the least Gohan could do was honor her sacrifice.

"Why can't I power up?" Gohan asked. "The ki-bonds shouldn't be this strong. We should be able to overpower them."

Tobney leaned back against the wall. "It's a new technique." He responded, sighing. "Criminals were getting stronger. We needed something to contain them. These ki-bonds don't work as a limiter but they disconnect the ability to power up. That's why there are three of them." Tobney moved up his hand to touch the thin bond around his neck. "They contain your energy within this area," he made a vague gesture to his torso, "by cutting off the communication between your brain, your center, and your hands."

Gohan lowered his gaze. "It's not fair. I can't believe Vegeta wouldn't give us the chance to fight him properly. There's no honor in this win."

"I think Vegeta only cares about winning." Tobney muttered in response. Gohan didn't say anything else. He just closed his eyes and shook his head as he went back to following Sianna's presence.

Tobney took a breath after yet another waver in Sianna's power level. "They won't kill her." He was saying this to convince himself rather than to convince Gohan.

Gohan chuckled. "Maybe not intentionally. They'll just torture her until she dies."

"Are you not even a little worried about what he will do to you and me?"

Gohan shrugged before he leaned back against the wall. "That never did me any good. He'll come for us soon enough. I'll worry about that when he's standing right in front of me."

Tobney scoffed. "I wish I was as strong as you are, Gohan. It's so admirable."

"I used to worry a lot." Gohan responded. "Back when I was training for Vegeta's first arrival on planet Earth. I was terrified." His eyes seemed distant. "I was so afraid I couldn't move. It was because I feared what they would do to me if I started fighting them. And my friends died because of my fear." The half-saiyan slowly shook his head. "Worrying never helps anyone."

Tobney glanced to his best friend. "You were, like, five, Gohan. You were just a kid." He never realized this memory weighed so heavily on his friend's mind.

"Doesn't matter." Gohan responded. The half-saiyan took a breath when he felt another waver in Sianna's power level. The youngster clenched his fists and he gave a pull at the chains around his wrists. The ki-bonds around his wrists sparked as he tried to power up. "I'm almost twenty years older now but the feeling of being helpless feels exactly the same."

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Blood dripped on the ground, coming from Sianna's mouth. The young warrior let out a pathetic whimper. She couldn't help herself after such a beating. Her face felt hot and thick. Sweat was dripping down her forehead. It was almost like she'd forgotten what it was like to get beaten up. Was it always this bad? Or had she just never really experienced a real beating?

A hand pushed her backwards and she stumbled up against a wall. Dark figures were standing in front of her and she tried to focus her eyes so she could see them more clearly. One came closer, smacked her across the face. "…a….ou…a..aight…eee….a?" It was a question… Probably. She wasn't sure who was hurting her now. Vegeta stopped punching her after a while and told the rest of the group they could have fun with her now that she was more docile. And they did. Taking turns, they tortured her, punching and kicking her until her entire body felt numb.

Sianna frowned when a hand curled around her chin, pushing her face up. Unbeknownst to her, Comora studied her eyes for a second. "She's practically out." He stated.

Vegeta made a face. "Disappointing. We haven't even been at it that long."

Comora grinned. "We should probably save some for our two boys."

Vegeta shrugged. "Not really. I've done my fair share of torturing those runts. I've been really looking forwards to hurting this one. Well, I guess I have more than enough time to make up for lost time." The man took off his bloodied gloves. "Let's bring her to the rejuvenation tank. I want her bright and healthy for round two."

"Yes, sir." Comora responded. "Suno, Itoro."

The two soldiers nodded and they took position at Sianna's sides, each grabbing one of her upper arms and forcing her to walk with them. Sianna's body was trembling as she followed them. She was too dazed to fight them. The young woman didn't say or do anything as they brought her to the medical center. The only fight she put up was when Suno tried to take off her armor. In the spirit of taking away the obstructions for the healing process without actually undressing her fully, Suno reached out to unclasp the band of her armor. A brief widening of Sianna's eyes, followed by a yelp from Suno as her teeth sank into his naked arm. The man stumbled back before he looked at the bloodied bite on his arm. She's actually managed to bite through his flesh and pierce all the way to his bone.

Vegeta laughed in response. "I guess she warned about those teeth." He teased.

Itoro and Kaon – shocked – had gotten a hold of the young woman's arms again to restrain her. Suno growled in anger as he approached her. Taking advantage of her bounded state, Suno pulled back a hand and backhanded her. This punch was so hard that it knocked her out.

Vegeta watched as the men took off her armor and placed her limp form in the rejuvenation tank. The group waited as the rejuvenation tank scanned her injuries and calculated the time needed to heal her. Vegeta's hand was located against his chin as he thoughtfully studied the young woman in the tank. His gaze moved away from her when Comora approached him. "It will take one hour for her to heal, sir."

"Good." Vegeta responded.

"What do you want us to do with her once she's healed, sir?"

"Leave her to me." Vegeta said, making a decision.

"What, sir? Why?"

"Because I say so." Vegeta turned away from his subordinate. "Let's go see our boys."

The two youngsters knew they were coming. They could feel the presences of their enemies as these power-levels approached the dungeon.

"It's good to see you're both awake." Vegeta stated, smiling happily. "I'm sorry for this bad hospitality. We needed to get a couple things settled before we could attend to your needs."

"What's going on?" Gohan snarled in response.

"Don't you understand? And I thought you were perceptive, kiddo." Vegeta spread his arms. "We're taking back what's ours. You've had a nice run of this army but it's time we stepped in again."

Gohan shook his head. "I don't understand. I thought you were done with the army. You told me so."

Comora gave Vegeta a questioning glance but the latter waved his hand. "Do you really think I meant that? I just said it to make sure you wouldn't continue to see me as your enemy. And it worked. You trusted me." The man moved to the entrance of the cage. "But enough talk, we've got more fun matters to attend to." The man opened the door and gestured for the others to enter the cage.

The Suta Team happily rushed into the cage. Tobney only got a second to realize they were coming for him, his eyes widened for only a fraction before they reached him. The men grabbed him as one, kicking him off his feet and dragging him out of the cage. Gohan could feel his heart breaking as he saw the fear in Tobney's eyes. The young warrior struggled as hard as his best friend but their power was drained by the ki-bonds. There was nothing they could do.

"Wait." Comora ordered right before the men could walk out the room with Tobney. The man headed towards them and grabbed Tobney by his shoulder. Pushing the youngster back to the cage, he made Tobney kneel down in front of the glass cage. "I want you to tell Gohan what you promised Naldersthlen."

Gohan made a confused expression. Tobney's gaze was lowered to the ground now. Comora grabbed Tobney by his blue hair and roughly forced the youngster to look up at Gohan. "Tobney here," He said, "offered you up on a golden platter. We made a deal with Naldersthlen. They would stop attacking our ships and we would bring you to them."

"What?" Gohan's eyes met Tobney's blue orbs.

"Don't listen to him, Gohan." Tobney said quickly. "I wasn't going to let it ge-…" Comora's boot pushed against Tobney's shoulder and he fell over.

"Grab him." Comora only needed to say these two words and the rest of the team came to his aid. The warriors gathered the youngster up. "Let's go."

"No! Wait!" Tobney yelled as they pulled him up. "Let me explain. Gohan, believe me, I wasn't going to…" A hand pressed against his mouth and muffled the rest of his words. The group huddled around him and they took him away from the room.

"Stop!" Gohan snarled after them. "Tobney! No!" But they were gone. Vegeta had been watching Gohan's response to it all and he now showed a smirk as Gohan's eyes settled on him. "What are they going to do with him?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Take him through some of the worst memories of his latter teens, I guess. They've got a score to settle with him." The man tilted his head sideways as he studied the younger warrior. "This look suits you. I'm glad I got to see it again."

The man turned to leave the cage. Gohan turned to him. "What's going to happen now?" He asked. "Are you going to enslave us again? Been there done that, haven't you?"

Vegeta continued closing the entrance as Gohan spoke and he now looked up through the glass door. "Don't worry. I won't be needing your services anymore. As for Tobney, it depends on what his comrades want to do with him. I'll leave that entirely up to them. You're both expendable."

Gohan frowned in response. "What does that mean?"

"You'll find out soon." Vegeta only smirked at Gohan before he turned to leave the room.


	22. Chapter 22: Your Worst Fears Unleashed

**Chapter 22. Your Worst Fears Unleashed.**

Vegeta felt how Gohan's power level spiked as he tried to power up. The man could feel the hopelessness radiating off of Gohan's presence and it made him smile. At the same time, he could feel Tobney's power level wavering as he was surrounded by the power levels of his comrades. The man felt smug. Gohan had to endure the beatings of both his friends while there was nothing he could do. Vegeta knew Gohan suffered the most when his friends were suffering.

A ping caught his attention. The man made sure to return to the medical center way before Sianna's predicted healing time was up. He knew from his own experience that the patients tended to wake up before the healing process was over and he didn't want Sianna to make a run for it. The youngster woke up about fifteen minutes before the treatment was over and she'd widened her eyes when she saw Vegeta was already there, waiting for her. The two had exchanged glances before Sianna decided to close her eyes again to focus on healing her body.

Vegeta moved over to open the rejuvenation tank. He'd sent the doctor away because he wanted Sianna alone. The female soldier didn't get out of the tank right away. She frowned at the Saiyan prince. "So, what's going to happen now?" She asked.

Vegeta held up a set of slave clothing. Sianna's lips pressed together as she surveyed it. The young warrior got out of the tank and accepted the clothing and she walked to the dressing screen. Returning in the simple white dress, Sianna felt more naked and out of place than she felt when wearing the skintight uniform. Vegeta studied her as she walked closer. Sianna crossed her arms over each other in a defensive gesture Vegeta didn't miss noticing.

"Gazes make you uncomfortable, don't they?" Vegeta asked, smirking at her. Sianna slowly shook her head. "Oh, they do, but maybe not the gaze, but the thought that goes on behind it." Vegeta continued as he stepped closer to her. "What am I thinking when I'm looking at the way in which this dress reveals your naked legs or how it clings to your figure? Am I thinking of the way my hands can easily slip under the hem, up your thighs and to more _guarded_ territories?" He noticed the way her gaze wavered in response to his remarks. Sexual innuendos made her feel uncomfortable. Noted. "Cause that's what you've been fighting since you were about the proper age, isn't it? The moment the numerous men around you realize that your gender could easily place you in the pleasure quarters."

Sianna did meet his eyes now and she narrowed them. "I'm too valuable as a soldier." She responded. "It would be a waste of my talent."

"I agree." Vegeta answered. "That's why I kept you out of the pleasure quarters for years. However, you're not a soldier anymore. I don't want you in my army. I'm demoting you back down to a slave." Sianna lowered her gaze and clenched her fists. "And now I realize that making someone as beautiful and strong as you scrub the floors and wash clothes would be such a waste."

Sianna frowned as she looked up at him again. There was a different look in his eyes and Sianna instantly felt trapped. She stepped back but his iron grip was suddenly on her upper arm. "Vegeta." She stated carefully. "You're not that kind of guy." Her ki-bonds sparked as she tried to power up but the bonds did their work and cut off her power-up.

"I know." Vegeta used his free hand to cup her chin and make her meet his eyes. "However, I fully intend to be the one Saiyan to go where no other Saiyan has gone. So, I plan to cover any territory Gohan's been… _in_." Vegeta grabbed her other upper arm and pulled the young woman closer despite her struggles. Fear was visible in her eyes as she really struggled now. "Ah? This gets your heartbeat racing, doesn't it? This is what you've been afraid of for years."

Sianna shook her head in response but Vegeta only had eyes for the fear in her yellow orbs. "You're all alone now. Gohan imprisoned. Tobney subdued. Brius is all the way across the universe." She didn't meet his eyes as he spoke. "And you, with your disability to power up, in the hands of a man who is at least ten times stronger."

Vegeta forced her to step closer to him, smirking when he realized she was shaking, and he whispered in her ear: "Today, sweetheart, you'll find that even your worst nightmares can come true."

Vegeta relished the shivers that went through her body for a moment. Sianna suddenly opened her eyes, pulled her head back, and smashed her forehead against his. The impact drove Sianna dizzy for a moment but it also made Vegeta release her. Sianna stumbled back while her hand moved to her forehead. Vegeta's head felt like a brick wall.

The man reached up to feel his forehead and frowned when he realized she managed to damage his skin. How did she even manage to do such a thing without powering up? Vegeta raised an eyebrow when Sianna ran for the entrance.

The Saiyan prince used his energy to move to the entrance as quick as lightening and he appeared right in front of her. Sianna stopped - her eyes wide. Vegeta wiggled his finger at her as if she was a naughty child. Sianna stepped back as her eyes darted around the room to look for something that she could use to defend herself.

Vegeta enjoyed the fear in her eyes as he stepped closer to her. Sianna stepped back. They continued this tradition until Sianna could feel a table bumping against her back. She made the colossal mistake of looking behind her. Vegeta narrowed his eyes before transporting to stand right in front of her. Sianna let out an actual yelp –earning a grin from the Saiyan prince- and she tried to get away from him by shifting backwards onto the table. She moved up her foot to kick him away but this only gave Vegeta the opportunity to grab her ankle.

"Why thank you." He stated amusedly before he pulled her closer by her leg. Sianna shook her head and tried to stop herself by placing her hands on the edges of the table and holding on. Red marks were left on her palms after Vegeta overpowered her hold on the table. "This makes my job so much easier."

The man had her close enough to be able to lean over her. Sianna pushed against his chest, trying so hard to push him away. The ki-bonds sparked around her wrists. Her arms were forced to bend as Vegeta used his sheer strength to push himself closer to her. His gaze was on her arms and he slowly inched forwards, closer and closer to her, until his chest was almost touching hers, and she had to give up. Instead, Sianna pulled back her fist to start hitting his face. The first punch hit but Vegeta was hardly affected by it. He did find it annoying though and he leaned back somewhat so he could grab her arms. A brief struggle occurred as Vegeta tried to catch hold of Sianna's wildly thrashing arms. She seemed to be willing to try anything to make this a struggle for him. And it was annoying him greatly.

Vegeta managed to pin one arm down but was hit by her other arm. The man let out a growl before he grabbed the second arm too. "Finally." He complained. The man pushed her arms together and managed to push both her wrists in one hand. The man let out a sigh. "So," his gaze lowered to Sianna's. "Where was I?"

Sianna shook her head as she watched his free hand lower to her body. The young woman wiggled and struggled but she could not ignore how his hand travelled under her slave-dress and pushed it up so he could feel her skin. It was weird; she thought for a moment, that he didn't attempt to undress her. His hand just travelled up quite quickly, moving to her bra, and slipping under the fabric. "Stop!" Sianna closed her eyes as she felt Vegeta's hand on her. The man leaned closer again. This time, however, his gaze moved to her neck and he leaned in and… sniffed her?

Sianna realized his hand had relaxed and he was now just sniffing her neck. "What the…" She whispered.

"Ahh," Vegeta said quietly. "So, this is what your fear smells like. That's intoxicating, if anything."

Sianna couldn't help but be confused. Vegeta pulled back, released her, and he stepped back. Sianna quickly sat up and pushed her slave dress back down. Vegeta was studying her with interest. "I've wanted to smell your fear-scent for years. I never realized this would do the trick."

"You did this… You're not going to…?" Sianna was afraid to be relieved, just in case he was playing her.

"What? Force myself on you?" Vegeta placed his fists on his hips. "No, as you said, I'm not that kind of guy. I just wanted to see if I could really scare you, and it worked. Oh, and I wanted to cop a feel." Vegeta grinned at the young woman. "See what drove my little trainee and Brius crazy. Besides, it's been months since I've touched a woman. I'm getting antsy."

Sianna crossed her arms over each other in a defensive gesture. She felt awfully defiled. "You do realize that doing what you just did makes you a very bad person."

"Thank you." Vegeta bowed as if he'd just given away a great performance. "Still, I had to take it this far to make sure the others will get the good message."

"Why?"

"I want them to think that I raped you just now." Vegeta responded. "Our energies were very close together. And you were terrified. That's the main reason I took it as far as I did just now. I needed you to believe this was real so they would believe it too. It will make our story more believable."

"Our story?"

Vegeta stepped closer to her again and placed his hands on the table. He reached out to stop her when Sianna attempted to move back again. "Stay. It won't make any sense if we are suddenly very far apart." He used his finger to push her chin up so she had to look at him. "Listen to me. I don't want to take control of the army. I have no interest in going back full-time. I left the army behind me. The problem is, when Comora approached me back on Earth, I realized I could not stop this from happening."

"Comora has been planning this for months." Vegeta decided to explain the entire story when he saw the confusion in her eyes. "He fabricated the story that a group of rogue soldiers wants to kill Gohan and put me back in control. He hired a few cadets to play the rogue soldiers in the videos. They're all in robes and shadows. There's no way Tobney would recognize them. He created all the evidence and used it to persuade Tobney to go to planet Earth to fetch Gohan."

Sianna's gaze was now lowered as she mentally went over the months before they went to planet Earth. She didn't actually pay that much attention to Naldersthlen. Tobney never asked her for advice about the Naldersthlen or how to approach the situation. He just went on and did what he wanted.

"Comora hoped Gohan would allow me to come back too. Gohan's refusal to persuade Tobney to take me along too made it more difficult for Comora. He approached me while Tobney and Gohan were hanging out and he explained his plans to me. I was to sneak on board and stay hidden in my old quarters until Comora would tell me when to come out. Apparently, my quarters were still empty."

"Why?" Sianna whispered.

"My guess is…" Vegeta stated slowly. "Comora didn't like where the army was going. It's always been his project too. He's invested in the army and everything that it does. He wants to lead the army without actually being the leader. He likes leading from the shadows."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sianna asked.

Vegeta took a breath. "As I said, I don't want this. I don't want to go back to the army. I have no interest in taking back my previous role in the army."

"So, why did you come along?"

"Because I knew Comora would try to take over the throne anyway." Vegeta responded. "He was done slaving away for Tobney. He was bored. I saw it. I've known the man for years… If I didn't join him, he would find someone else or take the throne himself. I wasn't certain he wouldn't try to kill Gohan and Tobney."

Sianna lowered her gaze. "You're not going to kill Gohan?"

Vegeta shook his head. "I'm not going to kill Gohan." He confirmed. "I don't see a reason to. The same goes for Tobney. I may hate his guts because he's such a whiny brat, but I don't see a reason to kill him. It would be a waste."

"So… you still didn't explain why you're telling me this."

"I'm going to try and defeat Comora. However, I need all the help I can get." Vegeta responded. "Gohan and Tobney will most likely be sold. They'll disappear in slave-trade. Even if I manage to convince Comora not to kill them, I have no reason to keep them around. But you," He studied the female warrior, "are not that disposable. They'll believe that I want to keep you just because you used to be Gohan's girlfriend. They'll understand that this is my way of torturing you. As men, they will understand that this is my way of showing my dominance over you because I never managed to do so before."

Sianna rolled her eyes. "You do know how stupid that sounds, right?"

"I do. But it's true." Vegeta shrugged as he stepped back. "I think this is long enough."

"Ah," Sianna tilted her head sideways, "that wasn't that long though. Is that normal for you? Poor Stirania."

Vegeta chuckled at her teasing. It was good she could make jokes. It meant she was recovering from her previous shock and already bouncing back. "As I said, it's been more than a month. I was ready to explode. Besides, I've wanted to do this for years." The man turned to walk away. "All right. I've already got the right outfit for you." He walked to the small pile of clothing she hadn't realized was present in the room. He grabbed a simple black dress and held it up for her to see. "We'll have to get you the lace necklace too."

Sianna got off the table and walked closer to him. "Is this really necessary?"

Vegeta watched her walk closer. "It's either this, death, or being sold as an actual pleasure slave. You can choose." Vegeta handed her the dress when she held out her hands for it. "I was hoping I could sign you up as my ally though."

"You can." Sianna looked up at him. "I'll do anything to save Gohan and Tobney."

"Good." Vegeta crossed his arms as he watched Sianna walk to the dressing screen. "So, we're going to have to come up with some rules. First of all, I'm quite rough with my women. This shouldn't be new to you as you've had experience with bedding a Saiyan. I think it's a saiyan thing. If we want to be believable, you'll have to be somewhat traumatized by our encounter."

"I can handle a lot." Sianna responded.

"Not this." Vegeta said. "I want you to pretend to be scared of me. It won't make sense if you're suddenly terrified whenever I make a move but you can be afraid of being drawn to my bedroom."

Sianna emerged from behind the dressing screen. Her naked feet tapped on the cold floor. The dress came to her knees. It was meant to show her status while not actually showing off her body. Her physical presence was meant to be seen only by her master. It made her want to puke. Vegeta's eyes scanned her appearance for a moment and he opened his mouth to say something. Sianna moved up her hand and pointed at him. "Do not say this look suits me. I will kick you in the balls if you do."

Vegeta closed his mouth before his lips widened to a grin. "I think this will be a great partnership."

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

A few hours later, Vegeta studied the scene in front of him. Adding insult to injury, the rest of the team had made short work of Tobney's armory. They stripped him of his clothes and he was now only wearing his boxers. The ki-bonds around his wrists sparked as his comrades pushed his arms behind his back.

Vegeta couldn't help but feel some type of dejavu as he watched the scene. He'd witnessed this more often years ago. Back when Tobney was only sixteen and he just joined the Suta Team, he was often brought in like this. Shackled, roughed up and shivering. The clothes were torn off his body. His eyes stood dark and angry.

The Saiyan prince stepped closer. "Tell me, Tobney, how does this feel?" He smiled as Tobney's blue eyes moved up to meet his. "It must be such a blast from the past. How long has it been since you were first brought back to me by your comrades, ten years?" A nasty grin appeared on his face. "Ten years and you're right back where you started. Right back at my feet."

The man easily crossed the distance and he roughly grabbed Tobney's chin. "And you haven't changed a bit." He snarled as he looked into Tobney's white eyes. "I can still see that pathetic sixteen-year-old in your eyes." Tobney's eyes changed and he tried to bite Vegeta's fingers.

Vegeta chuckled as he pulled back just in time. "Ah, ah, ah." He said in a demeaning voice. "That's not a very nice puppy."

Tobney's composed attitude fell at the old nickname and he let all his anger show. A desperate scream escaped from his mouth as he tried to launch at Vegeta. However, Suno easily held him back. Chuckles escaped from his comrades as Tobney struggled with all his might.

Vegeta was just outside his reach. The man enjoyed the anger in Tobney's gaze as he smiled innocently and motioned for Tobney to come at him. Tobney wanted to attack him. He put all his strength in his struggles but there was nothing he could do. The fingers around his wrists didn't falter. The ki-bonds cut off his power-ups as if it was nothing.

Tiring himself out, Tobney's gaze lowered and he breathed heavily, his mind racing as he realized the position he was in. He was not the one in control. Vegeta was. He was at their mercy. And he hated.

"Gosh, he tired himself out, poor thing." Vegeta tilted his head sideways as he studied the youngster. "You should put the child to bed early tonight, Comora. A goodnight sleep is important for the growth of a kid."

Comora seemed content to play along. "Don't worry, sir. We'll take good care of him."

"I'll believe that." Vegeta stepped closer and pushed against Tobney's chest to gain his attention. "Up here, big guy." He waited for Tobney to look him in the eyes before he pushed his knee straight into Tobney's stomach. The young warrior let out a pained gasp for air. His knees buckled under him but Vegeta didn't approve of this and he grabbed Tobney's dark hair to pull him back up. Tobney's legs strained to take back his weight in favor of being dragged up by his hair.

Vegeta pulled on Tobney's hair to maneuver the youngster into the desired position before he pulled back a fist and brought a finely-directed punch down on Tobney's nose. The nose broke on impact, shattering blood down on Tobney's cheeks and chin. Tobney let out a pained growl as the effects hit his brain.

"Ah, that's better. I always thought you looked too pale. Now there's some color in there." Vegeta tended to serve his beatings with some well-seasoned commentary. He would add an insult or comment to every punch or kick he gave, tearing at both the mental and physical defenses of his opponents.

"Hold still," Vegeta complained as he tightened his grip on Tobney's hair and pulled the youngster's face back, "I'll only be able to aim my punches properly if you hold still, sweetheart."

The comments were accompanied by chuckles from the others. The punches Vegeta handed out were well-aimed and intended to hurt as much as possible. The man was good at torture and he often showed-off his skills, preferably on people like Tobney.

"You've always been good at taking punches. The little groans you emit are just adorable." Vegeta teased after giving out yet another punch. "Such a thankful punching bag, am I right, gentlemen? I mean, you've all had the pleasure, haven't you?"

The rest of the warriors agreed heartily. Itoro even tousled Tobney's hair cheerfully, as if to congratulate Tobney on an achievement. The young warrior was too tired to respond. He'd been quite quiet through it all, actually.

Vegeta smacked Tobney across the face. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." He snarled. He added another smack against Tobney's face for good measure. After this he grabbed Tobney's shoulder and directed yet another punch into Tobney's stomach. Tobney didn't recover from this as quickly as expected. The young warrior leaned over and drops of blood fell down to the white floor. This time Tobney's knees buckled once again and he fell to the ground. Suno gave him that much room this time.

A hand appeared in Tobney's vision and the youngster let out a tired sigh. His face felt like it was scraped off his bones. His head was aching painfully and his heart was pounding so hard he feared it was going to break down due to overload soon.

Vegeta pushed Tobney's face upwards to meet his eyes again. "Don't tell me you're tired already, kiddo. Where is your stamina? You used to be able to keep this up for hours." His gaze was cold as he met Tobney's pale orbs. This was nothing to Vegeta. The man enjoyed making others suffer. And this was definitely not the first time he tortured Tobney. It made the youngster feel so disheartened. Was he never going to leave this army? Would he be Vegeta's prisoner for the rest of his life?

The fight left Tobney's eyes, falling into darkness. And Vegeta could see it happen. The man smirked smugly as he released the youngster and stepped back. Tobney's head fell forwards once he was released and his body slumped as he knelt down on the ground.

"Well, that was satisfying." Vegeta took off his white gloves and threw them on the ground right in front of Tobney so that the youngster could see the now pink gloves, tainted by his own blood. "What are you going to do with him?" He asked as he looked to his underlings.

"We haven't fully decided yet." Comora responded, shrugging. "We'll probably keep him around for a while. Make him miserable. See if we can make use of him as a slave. I always felt we needed a personal slave to take care of us. We may as well enlist the kid for the job."

Vegeta agreed. "Fair enough. If you do decide to kill him, tell me and we'll make a farewell party out of it. I'll take out the whips and knives and anything else to make sure the boy gets a proper departure out of this life."

Comora grinned in response. "Sure. We'll keep you posted."

Vegeta nodded. "Alright, have fun. You're dismissed." He stated. The man was about to turn around when a hoarse voice interrupted him.

"What did I ever do to you?"

Vegeta turned back to him, tilting his head sideways as he did so. Tobney was still kneeling on the ground. His gaze was directed at Vegeta. He seemed absolutely exhausted – not only physically but also mentally. Tobney was through. The Saiyan prince considered the younger warrior for a moment. The little kid he met more than ten years ago was nowhere to be seen. Tobney had grown into a strong and independent young man. His existence would probably make any parent proud.

The man realized Tobney was talking about more than just the recent beating. This comment was about everything Vegeta had done to him over the years. "Well," Vegeta spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders, "I guess you shouldn't have entered that tournament, huh?"

Tobney frowned at the Saiyan prince but there was nothing he could say in response. Vegeta was talking about the tournament Tobney entered when he was fifteen. That was the reason he was on Vegeta's ship now. By winning that tournament, Tobney was recruited by Vegeta's army and so sealed his fate.

Vegeta realized Tobney wasn't going to say anything else so he looked to Comora. "That's settled. I'm going to go back to Sianna and see how she's doing."

This made Suno look up to the Saiyan prince. "Talking about Sianna, what were you two doing earlier?"

Vegeta showed a smirk as he shrugged. "Having fun." He responded. "I should have done it years ago. I guess I was waiting for her to mature."

Suno's face was shocked. "You... Sianna…" The man looked to Comora. "We didn't sign up for that to happen to her, sir." The rest of the team seemed hesitant as they looked from Comora to Suno and back.

Comora made a face. "Why do you think I care what happens to that brat?" He snarled back. "What are you, a kindergarten teacher? Maybe spending a little less time with women will make you less soft, Suno. Or would you like to take up a job at the pleasure quarters with the rest of your kind?"

Suno slowly shook his head and lowered his gaze. "No, sir."

"What about the rest of you, huh?" Comora snarled at the group. "Who wants to give up his job for a broad? I noticed you were hesitant to punish Tobney. Are you all weaklings now? Is that what's happening? Did you get your dicks cut off without my notice?"

The men had their gazes lowered. They were unwilling to meet Comora's stern eyes. Vegeta pressed his lips together for a moment. He realized they were under Comora's control but not under Vegeta's control. These men would do Comora's bidding. And Comora knew exactly what to say to play them. He worked on their self-esteem, their manhood, and by making them want to prove how "manly" they were, he would always have a team ready to be ruthless.

"Well, I think that's clear." Comora stated as he crossed his arms. He looked back to Vegeta. "I see I still have some work to do here. But don't let us stop you from going back to your concubine."

Vegeta shrugged. "Finding proper soldiers is quite difficult. Maybe we should add some fresh blood to the Suta Team. Trade in the old and soft for the new and tough."

Comora chuckled. "I'll think about it."

"Dismissed." Vegeta was about to turn away when a voice stopped him.

"Gohan." Tobney groaned out. He was still kneeling on the ground. "What's….going to happen… to… him?"

The rest of the warriors were interested in Tobney's words and they now all looked up to Vegeta. Tobney used all his strength to move his head up and look at Vegeta.

The saiyan prince showed an innocent smile in response as he shrugged. "I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago." He responded. "We're going to organize a slave market soon and he'll be the highlight of the show." Vegeta met Tobney's wide eyes and he couldn't help but grin as realization dawned in Tobney's orbs.

"I'm going to sell him to the highest bidder."

Tobney slowly shook his head as he got on his hands and knees. "Please," He coughed and drops of blood landed on the ground, "don't."

"And why the hell not? Because you're begging me. So pathetically?" Vegeta taunted as he stepped closer.

"Gohan has… enemies." Tobney's exhaustion was visible as his arms shook under him but he refused to fall down. He had to get this message across. "If you sell him… They'll get him..."

"That's not true."

Tobney slowly turned to look at Comora in response to his comment. The youngster moved to sit on his lower legs. Comora's red eyes stood icy as he surveyed his former comrade. "There's nobody after Gohan. I made it up so you would get him for me."

Tobney slowly shook his head again. "No… You showed me…"

"Everything I showed you was fake. The correspondence with the soldiers was fake. The videos and the lists were all fabricated." Comora cut him off. "You believed it because I told you it was true."

"Of course I believed it." Tobney snarled in response. He seemed to recover quicker than expected. "You were my second-in-command. My advisor. Of course I trusted your word. And you betrayed me."

"Just like you betrayed me." Comora deadpanned. "We trusted you. The team trusted you and you turned your back on all of us!"

Tobney sat up, getting taller as he placed a foot on the ground and leaned on his knee with his hand. "You married me off to someone I didn't want to marry!"

"So what?" Comora screamed back. The man crossed the distance between them within a second and he grabbed Tobney by the back of his neck, pulling him up to get him closer to his face. "I watched you sleep your way through the entire female population of the ship. You never cared about sleeping around. And now suddenly you were all against meaningless sex?"

"Yes!" Tobney used all his strength to push Comora away. The youngster was released and he stumbled back but he stayed on his feet. "You were signing my life away without my consent! I don't care what my history is. I don't care what I did in the past. It's my life! You can't just move others like pawns in your fucked up business."

"You didn't have a life to begin with!" Comora snarled back. "You say you didn't owe us anything but you did. We could have killed you but we spared you. We made you into the warrior you are today. Your life was ours to invest in anything we wanted to."

"That is not true!" Tobney screamed. His eyes were wide and desperate. He'd heard this so many times and he refused to listen to it. "My life belongs to me! And Gohan's life is his to own. We were dying where we were. And everyone could see it. That wasn't the life we wanted."

"So you turned on us." Comora responded, calmer now. "And now I did the same thing to you. How does it feel, Tobney?"

Tobney stared at him for a second or two. "I didn't take your life away." He said hoarsely. He cleared his throat and wiped a trickle of blood from his forehead. "I didn't enslave you."

"No, you just forced us to bow down to a twenty-five-year-old. The same kid who we used to control. Who used to do our bidding? And you enjoyed it, didn't you?" Comora's voice sounded acidly as he spoke. "You liked using us for boring jobs. Making us bodyguards, trailing your every move while you don't need protection at all. We became useless. And there's nothing more horrifying to a soldier than being useless."

The rest of the team frowned as Tobney glanced to them. The youngster appeared speechless. He honestly hadn't realized he never sent them on missions anymore recently. The youngster was still breathing hard as his eyes studied the group until he lowered his gaze.

"Well, as much as I am enjoying this little family quarrel, I think I'm going to go back to my old office and start on the rehabilitation of the army. There is a lot of work to be done." Vegeta announced.

Comora nodded. "Yes, sir. Do you want me to assist you?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Later. You guys take some time to get accustomed to your new toy." Vegeta sent a sweet smile in Tobney's direction. The young warrior clenched his fists but he didn't say anything. "I'll call you when I need you."

"Yes, sir." Comora bowed and the rest of the team followed his example. Only Tobney stayed upright. The youngster was already looking around for an escape route. The ki-bonds around his wrists lit up as he tried to power up.

Comora's fiery gaze landed on him. "Suno, get the boy. We'll go back to our quarters and figure this out."

"My pleasure." Suno approached the youngster. Tobney clenched his fists and sank into a fighting stance. "Oh yes, please hit me. Right here." Suno presented his cheek as he pointed to his own face.

Tobney frowned and decided to redirect the punch to Suno's gut. The youngster quickly realized that at this power level, hitting Suno's stomach was like hitting a brick wall. He gasped as he felt the pain in his hand and he pulled his arm back. "My turn?" Suno's voice was accompanied by a painful crash of his fist against Tobney's cheek. The youngster was thrown back, slamming into the wall behind him. The young warrior let out a howl as the pain registered in his brain. He sank through his knees. How did this hurt so much?

A hand curled around his upper arm, pulling him up. Tobney could do nothing to stop it. He was just as weak as he was when he was fifteen. And they knew it. The walk to their common room went by in a daze. He could not understand what was happening. Was he back where he started years ago? He'd come such a long way. He'd fought so hard. He'd given up everything. Why was he back where he started? Had everything been for nothing?

"Well then," Comora carried a metal necklace and presented it to the rest of the team, "cheers, to the first official slave of the army!" The rest of the team cheered along as they held Tobney tight so that Comora could lock the slave-collar around Tobney's neck.

The youngster allowed it to happen. He allowed their hands to push his head down in order to allow Comora to click the necklace around the back of his neck. He allowed Comora to push his face back upwards afterwards so that they could take a good look at his new accessory. His eyes were unfocused, his mind trying to leave this world. He didn't want to be here anymore and he was not going to pretend otherwise.

"So, what should we make him wear?" Suno asked as he handed a rejuvenation-spray to Comora.

The squad leader proceeded to heal the cuts and bruises on Tobney's pale skin. The young warrior was almost surprised by how normal this routine felt. He was being patched back up by the same hands that inflicted the injuries.

"Good question." Itoro responded. "A slave uniform probably."

"But that's such a waste of his appearance though. Could you imagine hiding all this," Suno made a wide gesture to Tobney's muscular body, "in a shapeless slave uniform?"

"So what would you make him wear?" Kaon asked. "We're not going to put him in a soldier's uniform."

"Don't we have those beautiful vests that can be combined with tight trousers? The black ones? We could leave the chest bare. Show off his abs." Suno suggested.

Comora chuckled. His eyes were focused on said abs as he used the rejuvenation-spray to clean up a bruise there. He mainly chuckled because Suno was talking about an outfit that was intended for male prostitutes. "That may give off the wrong message, Suno."

"What? That we don't mind fucking a twenty-nine-year-old man?" Itoro smacked Tobney's buttocks as he walked by.

Tobney whirled around, his fists up, ready to punch Itoro. His comrades grinned and spread his arms, eager to accept any attack from his former superordinate. Comora got up from his kneeling position on the ground. "That's not going to do you any good, Tobney." He warned. He placed a hand on Tobney's shoulder and turned the youngster back to him. "One of the first things you will have to learn, Tobney, is that a slave has no rights at all. Your body is not yours anymore. We can do with it as we like. Retaliation from your side will not be tolerated, do you understand me?"

Tobney slowly shook his head. "I refuse to understand that."

"Then you will learn." Comora responded easily. "One way or the other." The man crossed his arms over each other. "And it's time you started addressing us with the proper pronouns. Sir will do for now."

"And we'll work our way to master and commander." Suno teased from the other side of the room.

"It was only this morning that you had to call me sir." Tobney snarled in response.

Comora's hand was fast and vicious, smacking against Tobney's cheek and easily throwing him off his feet. The man landed on the ground, groaning in pain. A boot landed on his head, pressing his face down to the ground. "So, what about it?" He pressed down on Tobney's head hard, twisting his foot a little to rub it down on Tobney's flesh. "Spit it out and save us all the time, Tobney. You're not good at resisting torture."

Tobney clenched his fists, powering up. The ki-bonds sparked as he pushed higher and higher. Comora frowned in response to the heat radiating off the ki-bonds. He wasn't sure how long it would take a mind as strong as Tobney's to defeat these ki-bonds. The man stepped back and pulled back his leg so he could kick Tobney's stomach. The younger man gasped in pain. The ki-bonds stopped sparking as this drew Tobney's attention away from powering up. The man added one more kick for good measure. "You know what, guys; I think Tobney still needs some extra tutoring. Who's with me?" The rest of the men laughed and they approached the two. Tobney placed his hands on the ground to get up but the next kick pushed him back to the ground. After this the kicks started to rain down on him, coming from every direction until he was forced to draw up his arms to protect his head. That was all he could do.

 ****** DBZ **** DBZ ******

"Sit down."

Solarus was roughly manhandled in the chair opposite Vegeta. The man was sitting at his former desk. He was back in his former office and he felt amazing. The man smiled as he studied the young woman in front of him. "You've flourished into a beauty, haven't you?"

Solarus seemed too scared to respond. Her breathing was shallow; her arms hugging her body a little as if she wanted to comfort herself. She seemed so small. And she probably felt that way too. Vegeta was happy to see that at least one of these annoying women seemed properly scared of him.

"Do you want something to drink, Solarus?" He asked. The man was somewhat annoyed when Solarus didn't even look at him but kept her scared gaze directed to the ground. "Look at me!" He snarled. Her eyes shot up to meet his eyes but she immediately looked away, directing her gaze to look at the wall behind him. "Answer me when I talk to you."

"Yes, sir." Solarus whispered in response.

Vegeta crossed his arms over each other before he looked to Comora. The man was standing behind Solarus and two guards were standing at his side. "Why don't you three back off a little? It seems you're scaring the little lamb."

Comora rolled his eyes but he nodded. "Yes, sir." He stated before he ordered the two guards to retreat to the entrance. He followed them. Their original proximity apparently was one of the reasons for Solarus's general anxiety as she now relaxed a little.

"I hear you've been making videos to promote the army." Vegeta said, catching the general gist of her work in one sentence.

"Yes, sir." Her voice was louder now.

"As you know, there have been a lot of changes around here." Vegeta stated. "But that doesn't mean anything has to change for you." Solarus looked up at him. "I want you to continue your work but this time you'll promote my army. You're going to make a video soon and explain what happened. You'll tell the universe that Tobney and Gohan lied about their backstories. You'll explain how they stabbed me in the back, drugged me and took my army from me while there was nothing I could do. Soldiers who were loyal to me have been fighting to get me justice and they succeeded by putting me back on the throne. And you're glad I'm back where I belong."

Solarus' eyes grew wider as he spoke. "But that's not true." She said.

"Isn't it?" Vegeta tilted his head sideways. "Maybe that's my truth. Maybe that's how I see things. Do you know what I'm thinking, Solarus? For all you know, I could've always acted out of my loyalty towards and love for Gohan."

"You punished him." Solarus responded, frowning. "You tortured him for no reason. You never cared for Gohan like you're implying now. You're lying."

"Hmmm…" Vegeta shrugged in response. "Fine. It doesn't matter. You're going to do as I say."

Solarus drew herself up and frowned at him. "And what if I don't?" Her comment made him admire her for a moment. She was obviously terrified but she seemed to consider the truth as more important than her own fear.

Vegeta got up from his seat and walked to the corner of the room to grab something. He heard Solarus's gasp, followed by her chair scraping back as she got up. Vegeta knew what cause her shock. The man couldn't help but smirk as he held Sianna's hands captive. The young slave was now dressed in a simple black dress. A black lace necklace was seen around her neck. She was also sporting a black eye and a split lip. The simple black dress left the bruises on her upper arms and her legs open for everyone to see. Comora frowned as he surveyed her new appearance. This was a development he wasn't aware of.

"Ah, ah." Vegeta pulled Sianna back by her tied hands when Solarus reached out to the female slave. A gag was keeping Sianna from saying anything. "No touching. Only I can touch her now."

"Sianna." Solarus whispered. The female slave met her eyes for a moment but then lowered her gaze again.

"So," Vegeta smiled as he wrapped one arm around Sianna's shoulders to hold her up against him and he used his free hand to caress her cheek, "I've got all your friends in my grasp. Not only this little broad," Vegeta pinched Sianna's arm after she tried to shrug him off, "but also Tobney and Gohan. If you don't do as I say…" Vegeta now pushed Sianna away from him and she fell down. Her hands were tied behind her and so she couldn't keep herself from falling face down on the ground. Vegeta stepped on her tied hands, pushing down and earning a muffled scream from her.

"Please! Stop!" Solarus fell on her knees next to Sianna. "I'll do it! Please stop!"

Vegeta smirked as he stepped back. "Good, now, I want to hear you say it. Pledge your loyalty to me."

Solarus nodded and she now turned to Vegeta. Still on her knees, she placed her hands on the ground and lowered her head. "I pledge my loyalty to you, lord Vegeta."

"Perfect. Now, I'd like you to meet your new guards." Vegeta motioned to the two men near the entrance. "They'll be with you every moment of every day from now on. Just to make sure you behave." He smirked at the fear in her eyes. "I'll contact you to discuss your next video." He raised his hand to draw the attention of the guards. "Gentlemen, bring your charge to her room."

Solarus got up and she looked over her shoulder to the approaching guards. "Please, sir, can I take Sianna with me and take care of her. She seems hurt." She tried.

Vegeta smirked and slowly shook his head. "No, Sianna's mine." He responded. "You're dismissed."

Solarus seemed to want to say something else but the guards each grabbed one of her arms and led her out the room. Vegeta felt smug as he knelt down to grab Sianna's arm and he helped her up. Comora approached the two now. He gave Sianna a look over before he looked to Vegeta.

"Are you sure you don't want to dispose of Sianna, sir?"

"No, I told you I think that's waste." Vegeta responded.

"And this isn't?" Comora said as he nodded to the young woman. He always felt forcing Sianna to become a pleasure slave was an insult to her strength. And he thought Vegeta agreed with him on that.

Vegeta grinned in response. "I definitely had a lot of fun." He wrapped an arm around Sianna's shoulders and pulled her closer. Sianna's gaze was lowered to the ground. "And I'll have fun again tonight. It won't be a waste if I enjoy my time with her until she dies, right?"

Comora was still studying Sianna while Vegeta was talking. Her eyes made the tiniest little eye-roll at Vegeta's words and Comora frowned thoughtfully. She was never one to avoid anyone's gaze. It was almost as if she didn't want to meet his eyes because she was hiding something. The man mentally chastised himself. What could she be hiding? There was nothing she could do. Gohan was locked in the dungeon. Tobney was under the custody of the Suta Team. Sianna was in the hands of the strongest warrior in the universe and Comora knew he could trust Vegeta. Comora figured he was so used to hiding all this from Tobney that he now became paranoid about everyone else around him.

"Of course, sir. If you'll excuse me. I need to check on my team." Comora responded.

"Go ahead. We'll manage here." Vegeta squeezed Sianna's shoulders with his arm as he said this. Comora excused himself and left the room. Vegeta waited for one more moment before he released the young woman and moved to untie the gag. "You are the worst actress in the entire universe, you know that? I could feel your eyes roll."

Sianna scoffed in response. "Good thing I'm a fighter and not an actress."

"If only all of our lives weren't depending on your ability to act." Vegeta complained. "Argh, we need to discuss this. Go get me some coffee and sit down opposite my desk."

"Get you coffee?"

"Don't forget that I'm still your master." Vegeta responded. "I may not fuck you but your demotion to slavery is very real. You will listen to me. Now go get me my damn coffee."

Meanwhile, Gohan was leaning against the wall in the dungeon. The youngster spent the previous hours trying to escape. He pulled on his chains and powered up to see if he could overpower the ki-bonds. Nothing helped. He'd been punching the ground and the walls until his hands were bloodied. Still, nothing happened. Now, he was staring up at the ceiling. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he thought of the pain and suffering his friends' had gone through just now. He could feel Solarus's distress, Sianna's horror, and Tobney's pain. And there was nothing he could do.

Comora walked in the Suta Team common room to find Tobney on the ground. The rest of the team was surrounding him and they seemed to be in the process of kicking him from all directions once again. "What is going on?" Comora asked.

Suno was the first to answer. "He refused to bring us drinks. So we showed him what happens when he refuses to follow our orders."

Comora laughed in response. "Ah, okay. Well," he approached the group and looked down to the bloodied form of his former master, "I think he got it."

Itoro gave one more kick against Tobney's back and the youngster coughed up blood. "I think that really made it sink in." Itoro deadpanned. The rest of the group couldn't help but laugh.

Comora glanced down to the youngster. "Clean up the mess you've made here and then get us something to drink, brat." He ordered.

"Yes, sir." Tobney said hoarsely in response. The group seemed satisfied and they walked away. Tobney slowly pushed his body into a sitting position and he let out a sigh.

Solarus watched as the guards closed and locked the door to her quarters. She turned around and leaned against the door. Sinking through her knees, she sat and hid her face behind her hands while she let her sorrow take control of her body.

The four friends were apart and so they couldn't directly draw strength from each other. However, Tobney, Gohan and Sianna knew they were not alone. Someone was free and out there. She was on her way to help them.

Videl leaned back in her space pod. She had the map with the directions given to her by Sianna in her hands. The young woman remembered Sianna's instructions and she could still feel her heart beat in her chest. She managed to get away from the army without any problems. Sianna distracted everyone accordingly. Now, she just had to stay strong as she travelled to the planet Sianna wanted her to go to.

She still remembered Sianna's words. "You have to save us all."

Videl clenched her fists as she frowned at the darkness outside the window. "Please, don't give up, guys. I'm on my way."

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 **So, this is it for now. Don't worry. I will continue this story and all the other stories that are still ongoing. I'm just taking a sabbatical.**

 **I'll see you later!**


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